(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) The British Defense Ministry said Tuesday that its gearing up to dispatch more than 100 soldiers to help those affected by Ebola in Sierra Leone.
In a statement after attending a military field health exercise, Armed Forces Minister Mark Francois praised military personnel going through medical training to help tackle Ebola in West Africa.
"More than 100 members of the British Army's 22 Field Hospital are preparing to provide a 12-bed treatment unit for healthcare workers in Sierra Leone," the statement said.
"Personnel carried out parts of the exercise in personal protective equipment in a hangar converted into a mock-up field hospital, treating simulated casualties to replicate the situation they expect to find when they deploy," the statement added.
Francois said that "the Ebola virus represents a global threat to public health and we will not stand idly by." "This operation will involve a unique set of challenges, but I believe that our military medics, who we are extremely proud of, have the ability to provide support to the World Health Organization in helping to bring the outbreak under control," he said.
Military personnel will deploy to Sierra Leone next week where they will join military engineers and planners who have been in country for almost a month, overseeing the construction of the medical facilities.
The 12-bed facility is just one strand of Britain's commitment to tackling Ebola.
Using British expertise and local building contractors, Britain has pledged to establish the physical infrastructure for a total of 700 beds.
A team of over 40 military personnel, including logisticians, planners and engineers, are currently on the ground in Sierra Leone to oversee the construction of the UK's facility near Freetown and develop sites for new facilities.
Britain will build at least four new Ebola treatment facilities near urban centres including Port Loko, Freetown, Makeni and Bo.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.