How Can We Fight Ebola Virus If Health Workers Are Getting Infected Too?
2,500 people have now been killed by the Ebola virus, in an outbreak the World Health Organization says is “unparalleled in modern times.”
On Tuesday, President Obama announced that the U.S. would be taking a leadership role in addressing the health crisis, calling it a “top national security priority” and pledging to send 3,000 troops to the hardest hit regions.
One of the greatest obstacles in containing the virus is that the doctors and nurses on the front lines of the epidemic are falling ill and dying themselves. Today, National Nurses United announced that it received a donation of 1,000 Hazmat protective suits from garment manufacturer Kappler Incorporated to help protect health workers who are risking their lives to save others. NNU is working with an international network of relief organizations to distribute the suits to the West African nations that need them most.
According to Bonnie Castillo, director of NNU’S Registered Nurse Response Network, “All of us have a responsibility to support the humanitarian effort and assist the heroic nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers who are on the front lines risking their lives to heal the thousands of infected patients in West Africa. This is only the beginning of a stepped-up effort in the U.S. We must act before it is too late.”
Visit NNU’s website to learn more about its relief efforts or to make a donation that will allow the group to purchase additional equipment.
