We caught up with Christian GP Sam Dunnet as she returned from working in West Africa with Ebola victims. Sam tells us how she got involved, what the experience was like for her and what the rest of us can do to help those affected by Ebola.
How did you get involved?
I am a medical doctor and have worked for quite a few years in various parts of the world including 8 years in Africa (Mozambique, Angola, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Benin, South Africa).
I was taking some time out to study at Redcliffe College in Gloucester when my email began to fill up with news updates about Ebola, including requests for medical staff to go and help. I had already worked for Save the Children for 3 years in Mozambique so their request for a GP was something that grabbed my attention. I contacted them and then spent a week before God, agonising over whether this was something I should do. At first I said 'no' but then immediately felt in my spirit that this was the wrong decision and so contacted them again and agreed to go.
By this time, the GP job had been offered to someone else and I was offered the more senior position of staff health manager which meant having overall responsibility for the health of all the staff in Sierra Leone (almost 1000 by December) and their families. I was quite nervous about this but trusted that if God wanted me to have this job then He would equip me to do it. Anyway, after a long process of interviews and form-filling, I was on the plane to Freetown.
What were your first impressions?
Complete chaos; and with such a high turnover of staff, I struggled to find someone who knew more about the situation than I did. The Ebola response program was described as "trying to build a plane while flying". My job, it seemed, was to provide parachutes for the builders. Thankfully only a few fell off.
I had a stressful first week with an unexpected encounter with a critically ill Ebola patient in a public place and then an international staff member who became quite unwell with vomiting and fever. By the end of that night (with little sleep...) I had connected with all the key advisory contacts and become well versed in the protocols on managing a suspected Ebola case! It was definitely a baptism of fire.
Were you afraid of catching Ebola yourself?
I suppose I worked through that question before I left and had a clear sense of peace that my life is in God's hands and He knows every day written for me. Some Christians gave me the impression that my faith should be a guarantee of protection, but many devoted Christian health workers had already died of Ebola so for me it was about trusting that God's purposes are sovereign and He knows what is best for me. I knew it was a very real possibility that I might get Ebola but of course I would take all the precautions and encourage others to do so too.
What support did you have while you were there?
I met up occasionally with some Christian friends there who worked with other organisations but my main support was from family and friends in the UK and around the world. I posted updates on the situation on Facebook every few days, as well as sending regular short prayer requests, which always met with a flood of responses, encouragement and prayers. I was amazed at the scale of interest in the situation and my commentary on it.
What was it actually like to be there?
Ebola is a strange enemy because it is invisible but with many effects on daily life.
All the schools were closed since August so we saw children aimlessly wandering the streets or working. School lessons were being aired on the radio but teenage pregnancies were soaring and all the teachers were unemployed.
As cases started to rise in Freetown in December, shop opening hours were restricted, all restaurants and bars were closed, music was banned in public places and you could be arrested for hanging out on the town beach.
Many roadworks were abandoned in mid-construction when the Chinese companies evacuated so that led to some chaos on the roads. Hospital services were very limited - the only private hospital essentially closed to anything but chronic disease management. All the laboratories closed as so many lab staff had died and those remaining were understandably too afraid to continue to work.
I lived in a shared flat with a nice view over the city and out to sea where the British MoD ship, the Argus, was floating. Of course, as in most developing countries, we had no shortage of practical problems to keep us on our toes - from flooding to lack of water, power surges burning out most of our appliances, risk of electrocution and fire and a fridge that only worked when it felt like it!
The singing from nearby churches generally drowned out the frequent sound of the ambulances and burial teams 
The singing from nearby churches generally drowned out the frequent sound of the ambulances and burial teams.
Sierra Leonean people are very resilient and although there were much fewer smiles than usual on the streets, the office staff were generally cheerful and had a good laugh.
Christmas and New Year were very subdued as parties were banned, and yet it was an opportunity for people to refocus on the hope of Emmanuel, "God with us", even in the midst of confusing and tragic circumstances.
Were you involved in the case of the British nurse catching Ebola?
Yes I spent several days every week at the Kerrytown Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC) and was responsible for the health of all the NHS doctors, nurses and lab staff as well as the many local staff. Of course, her case generated a lot of concern for us and we analysed every aspect of how she might have got infected and whether we needed to introduce any other measures to protect other staff. We did not identify any significant gaps in the protocols and had a significantly lower number of staff infected than several other centres.
How did you deal with the tragedy of the situation?
I did find the sadness and scale of the situation almost overwhelming at times
I did find the sadness and scale of the situation almost overwhelming at times, especially during December when cases reached 100 new infections per day, and almost all in Freetown. There was a sense that the epidemic was closing in around us with house to house searching finding dead bodies, even in neighbouring areas and the parts of town that I drove through regularly. I often found myself on the floor before God, praying over the city and singing songs like "God I look to You, I won't be overwhelmed...", "You make me brave" and "It is well with my soul".
I went to a church in Freetown and it was so wonderful to join with local believers who just poured out their hearts honestly to God about the situation and yet were also able to find that the joy of the Lord was their strength by dancing and singing together. I cried through many of the services but I think that was also a helpful release.
What can people do practically to get involved?
As cases of new infections are now falling and there are enough treatment beds available to respond, there is hope that Ebola will soon be eradicated from the region.
The main outstanding need will then be the rebuilding of the health system and the nation as a whole. A substantial proportion of the health work force have died and others have fled the country, leaving an exhausted remnant.
GO - If you have appropriate skills (healthcare worker, WASH, logistics, management etc) then consider going to West Africa. There will be substantial ongoing need for help working with many different organisations, both faith-based and secular. I would not recommend going independently of any organisation until Ebola has been eradicated.
PRAY - Do pray that case numbers continue to fall and Ebola will soon be eradicated from the region.
- Also pray for the bereaved. Some families only have one remaining family member alive and there are many thousands of orphans.
- For the children who have not been to school since the end of the last academic year in August and for all those who are unemployed.
- For the rebuilding of the health system - obviously this is longer term but that the Ministry of Health would have wisdom to lead on this and that aid agencies will remain and support this work.
GIVE - During the main Ebola response, the most effective way to give has been through the DEC appeal as this has enabled a coordinated response and facilitated procurement of equipment etc (avoiding many fragmented attempts at small scale responses).
However, once the countries move into the rehabilitation stage, supporting larger Christian organisations like Tearfund, Samaritan's Purse, Medair and Christian Aid and smaller organisations like individual churches, orphanages and community programs like Community Health Global Network can have a significant impact.
