Juliet arrived home earlier today from Sierra Leone. I managed to talk to her for a few minutes this evening. It was so good to hear her voice. Poor thing, she sounded exhausted. Wrung out. All she wants to do is get home to her children and Justin; have a long hot soak in a bath and sleep in her own bed. Except, now she has to remain in isolation for 21 days. Just in case. I asked her about going, what it was like and if she was scared. Her response was: it’s not that she was scared so much as hyper-vigilant about her PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) being on properly, about washing and disinfecting after working, and about getting someone else to check that you secure and clean at the end of a shift. And she knew should anything happen, she would be evacuated via Germany because of the Australian government agreement with the UK. In contrast, the US Government has built a medical centre for its volunteers and medical personnel. They will be treated on site, but away from the main medical clinic. Juliet said, while she agreed with it in principle, if that was what the Australian Government had proposed as a solution, she doesn’t think she would have gone. They just don’t have the same level of facilities, staff, or resources as they do in Europe. Personally, I’m not sure Justin would have let her go. It’s just too big of a risk.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 10:11:59 +0000