JIATF HEADQUARTERS 21 DEC 14
PRESS RELEASE
MEDICS ARRIVE TO RELIEVE COLLEAGUES AT KERRY TOWN
British and Canadian Military Medics arrive in Sierra Leone to join the fight against Ebola.
Yesterday saw 100 military personnel from Britain and Canada join the Department for
International Development led operation in Sierra Leone.
The medical clinicians, Nurses, Lab technicians and doctors flew into Freetown, Sierra
Leone where they will be based for the next 2-6 months.
Many of the British personnel, including 15 reservists alongside their Canadian
counterparts will head to the UK built Kerry Town Ebola Treatment Centre facility situated
on the outskirts of the capital.
The treatment staff will spend a period of 60 days working within the patient wards
delivering frontline support to the confirmed and suspected patients that have been
admitted to the 12 bed facility.
Lt Col Gary O’Neil, Canadian Task Force Commander (Op SIRONA) said: “We are excited
about coming on a humanitarian mission. We have been training hard and integrating well
with the ‘Brits’, and now we are really looking forward to the mission ahead.”
Over the coming month these personnel will work closely with their predecessors to
establish themselves and orientate themselves for their task.
Handover training days and procedure practise will prepare them for the change over in
early January. Building upon the training delivered at Strensall, York, the teams will
acclimatise to the 35oC heat and new surroundings whilst handing over from the teams
currently working at the treatment facility.
Sgt Lance Cekill, said: “It was a relatively short flight from Britain to Freetown and it is
great to finally get here. We have already made good friends with our Canadian
colleagues and the team is looking forward to starting.”
ENDS
Background
• This is an unprecedented outbreak with the potential to affect many countries, and
tackling the disease requires significant and urgent support.
• The UK is leading the international response to the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone by
diagnosing and isolating Ebola cases more quickly, doubling the number of treatment
beds, supporting burial teams and researching a vaccine.
• Playing our part in halting the disease in West Africa is the most effective way of
preventing Ebola infecting people in the UK.
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