Feature: Ebola survivors commend Chinese medical team

"But for the treatment I received from the Chinese, I should not be alive today," said Memunatu Fofanah when recalling the experience at a Chinese treatment center in Sierra Leone after tested positive for Ebola.

Fofanah, a community health nurse in Sierra Leone's capital Freetown, was one of the Ebola survivors thanks to China's aid in consonance with the government and other development partners.

Fofanah said she contracted the Ebola virus through her father who was brought from North of the country very ill. As a nurse she decided to receive some medical care and was later taken to her health clinic at Upper Allen town about 30 km from the city where her father passed away.

A few days later she started feeling sick and developed high fever, then she decided to consult medical attention but was advised to call 117, the Ebola Emergency Response Center.

"I listened to the advice and promptly the command center dispatched an ambulance that conveyed me to the Chinese treatment center at Jui on the outskirts of the city, where I was diagnosed positive of the Ebola virus," said Fofanah.

"My first week in the hospital was not easy. I had lost hope because I had lost considerable weight, vomiting and could hardly work. The Chinese started to give me intravenous fluids as well as treatment for the high fever, this was also coupled with words of consolation that 'I would not die', that 'I would survive," she said.

Fofanah recalled that in deed within two weeks "I must say that I owe my survival to the care and treatment I got at the center for which I am very grateful".

Like Memunatu Fofanah, all the survivors that spoke to Xinhua had similar stories of harrowing experience with the dreaded disease and the support from the Chinese treatment center.

Maseray Kamara, Another Ebola survivor who had lost her five- month-old child, said it was through this confused state of mind that she probably might have contracted the disease.

Like her compatriots, Kamara got her healing through the support and treatment from the Chinese medical team. She explained that she manifested the symptoms a week of her child's death and was rushed to the Jui treatment center where she was handled with care, noting that they were visited at least two times a day by the Chinese doctors and nurses to administer medicines and psychosocial support.

According to the figures available from the Chinese Embassy, the center has treated about 671 patients, among which there are 151 Ebola positive patients.

Since the Ebola outbreak, about 8,000 Sierra Leoneans have been infected, of which some 2,000 have survived whilst some 2,859 have succumbed to the dreaded disease including hundreds of medical personnel.

It could be recalled that when the President of the west African state of Sierra Leone reported the first case of the Ebola virus about nine months ago, China was one of the first countries to respond to the call of the west African state by dispatching a plane load of medical supplies including Personal Protective Equipments, medical personnel as well as drugs.

These equipment were also supplemented with two mobile laboratories whilst the Sierra Leone-Chinese Friendship hospital was immediately transformed to a holding center and later to a treatment center especially when the disease became endemic.

Duan Xuezhang, a Chinese expert in the treatment center, explained that though Ebola has no known cure but early report to the treatment center will increase the chances of a patient's survival.

According to him their main problem is "dehydration and infection". Duan noted that when a person is very weak "he is susceptible to infection." In this case "the main therapy is fluid resuscitation with supportive treatment."

The Chinese medical team comprises of 41 staff, including 8 doctors, 16 nurses and other supporting staff. They visit the patients two times a day to administer drugs as well as give them psycho and social support for their hope and confidence.

As the country is now recording single digit figures, he advised that "we should not be complacent and ensure all suspected cases are isolated to prevent further spread and those with the virus are taken to the treatment centers as soon as possible".

He maintained that "the Chinese will be here until Ebola is kicked out of Sierra Leone". Endi