MOSCOW, August 26 (RIA Novosti) - The Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa has claimed the lives of more than 120 health care workers so far, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
“To date, more than 240 health care workers have developed the disease in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, and more than 120 have died. Ebola has taken the lives of prominent doctors in Sierra Leone and Liberia, depriving these countries not only of experienced and dedicated medical care but also of inspiring national heroes,” WHO wrote on its website Monday.
A shortage or improper use of protective equipment, lack of medical staff and too many hours spent in isolation wards are some of the reasons why so many health care workers have fallen ill, according to the organization.
The Ebola-hit areas are facing major supply shortages. Basic equipment, such as gloves or face masks, are scarce at many hospitals and Ebola wards. Last week, the Liberian Health Ministry reported a total lack of body bags in Lofa County, saying that some bodies could not be buried.
Many health professionals have stopped going to work, fearing for their lives. Other doctors and nurses have been working beyond their physical limits, far surpassing the number of hours they should be spending in isolation wards.
The closure of hospitals has caused other medical needs, such as childbirth assistance, to be neglected, the report states.
Ebola virus disease is a highly deadly illness transmitted through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of the infected. The number of deaths caused by the recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa has reached 1,427, WHO reported Friday. No licensed vaccine or specific treatment for the virus is available.
