Doctor Ronald Hernandez in Liberia: I’m so Much Proud of My Profession

Doctor Ronald Hernandez in Liberia: I’m so Much Proud of My Profession
Fecha de publicación: 
19 November 2014
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Doctor Ronald Hernández is one of the Cuban health professionals with the Henry Reeves Medical Brigade, who joined the international fight against Ebola in Africa, following the call of the United Nations and the World Health Organization.

An active facebook user, Doctor Hernández (second from right to left in the picture) sends daily reports to his friends about the work of the brigade working in Liberia , which Radio Havana Cub a is reproducing for our audience around the world.

In his latest reports, the doctor says “I’ve been a doctor for over 20 years. I have attended may lectures on Ebola; I have read so much about it, but nothing compares to being directly assisting an Ebola patient.”

“We have to do everything possible and even what seems to be impossible to stop this epidemic and prevent more deaths due to lack of medical attention. I feel myself so proud of my profession every passing day, of the altruism and internationalism that we were instilled, thanks to Fidel, thanks to Raul, thanks to Che Guevara.”

The Cuban medical brigade in Liberia continues to advance its work in what is known as red zone as they check on hospitalized patients. However no cameras or personal objects are allowed in isolation rooms, that is why there are no pictures provided, the doctor explains.

For those who follow these reports it is interesting to learn details about the work of the Cuban doctors in Africa, as Doctor Hernandez explains what bio-security implies:

First: Personal Protection suits are impermeable and protect all your body; we also use rubber boots, masks and glasses. We wash our hands with hypochlorite at 0.5 percent every time we assist a patient and we must change gloves. We always work in pairs or three-doctor teams. Hospitalization includes three stages: suspected cases, presumed cases and confirmed cases and in the wards we never use any personal items, not even pens. All aspects about the patients we write on a special screen, similar to a board.

The most risky moment is when we take off our suits, because you can bear a bit of vomit, fluid from the patients, so we are assisted by our epidemiologists towards the exits of the ward, they are the soul of our mission as they lead us all the way through with psychological support after we spend over two hours in those suits that you only want to take off you.

The doctor also says that they have their rest as they work 6-hour shifts, but they do not stay more than two hours inside red zone.

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