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Johannesburg - Healthcare workers are being recruited in South Africa for a mission to Sierra Leone to help with the Ebola outbreak, non-profit organisation Right to Care said.
“By sending these healthcare workers to Sierra Leone they will not only help the medical sector there, but will gain critical skills in treating this condition should cases reach South Africa," CEO Ian Sanne said in a statement on Monday.
Right to Care was looking for doctors and nurses, preferably with ICU experience, who were willing to work in Sierra Leone for three months.
This was part of the health department's Ebola emergency response.
Applicants were offered full training, flights, transfers, salary, per diems, insurance and housing.
Private sector hospitals
If these health workers contracted Ebola during their time in Sierra Leone, the South African government had agreed for them to be treated in South Africa, Right to Care said.
Sanne, who is an infectious diseases expert, said teams would begin leaving for the West African country from 15 January.
“The department of health has said that an effective Ebola response requires R250m - between government and the private sector only R40m has been raised so far.
"We are hoping that the department of health as well as private sector hospitals will release interested doctors and nurses for two months on full pay."
Sanne said systems used in South Africa's public health sector could help to halve the time it takes to confirm cases of Ebola, from 10 days to five days.
“We believe that altruistic medical workers with an interest in infectious diseases are most likely to respond to our call,” Sanne said.
