Britain’s latest Ebola aid flight – delivering beds, personal protection suits, tents and vehicles – landed in Sierra Leone capital Freetown yesterday, International Development Secretary Justine Greening has confirmed.
Aid flights from the UK to Sierra Leone have delivered personnel and vital supplies for the construction and operation of the 92 bed treatment facility in Kerry Town – the first of at least five that the UK is building in the country from scratch.
A team of British military personnel – including logisticians, planners and engineers – are currently on the ground to oversee the construction of the treatment centre.
International Development Secretary Justine Greening said: “The UK continues to deliver essential supplies to control and defeat the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone.
“This aid will go towards getting the UK’s treatment facility up and running as soon as possible. It will also ensure that heroic health workers working on the front line have the very best protection equipment available to tackle this terrible disease.
“Construction of our treatment centre is now well underway and the first phase will be operational soon. This will provide a lifeline of care to Ebola patients in Sierra Leone.”
Aid supplies delivered so far include: 20 vehicles including ambulances; 75 water tanks; 3 incinerators for disposing of clothing and other materials; 12 generators; personal protection equipment; radio equipment; lighting sets; chlorine for sanitation; latrine slabs; temporary warehouse tents; 14 air conditioning units and isolator equipment.
The vehicles will be used to move blood samples and patients from local communities to the treatment centre. Further aid supplies will be deployed from the Department for International Development’s emergency warehouse in Kemble, Gloucestershire.
The UK has pledged £125 million to support the global effort to contain, control and defeat the disease in Sierra Leone. This includes support for 700 Ebola treatment beds which will provide direct medical care up to 8,800 patients over six months and help to shore up the country’s stretched public health services as they battle to contain the disease. This includes vital supplies such as chlorine and protective clothing for thousands of health workers.
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