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Original story:

News just in from iafrica confirms that some hospital staff have left the Addington hospital in Durban out of fear from being exposed to a patient being admitted for Ebola testing.

This, from iafrica:

The Addington Hospital in Durban reportedly went into lockdown on Wednesday as it prepared to receive a patient who was to be tested for a suspected case of Ebola.

The patient was brought to Addington as it was the hospital designated by the national health department to deal with Ebola cases in the province.

According to The Mercury, the patient is a man who has recently returned from Sierra Leone, which is one of the West African countries that has been hit by the killer Ebola virus.

KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo confirmed that a patient had been admitted to the hospital to be tested for the virus.

[more here]

According to iol:

On Wednesday three hospital entrances were sealed off to prevent possible contamination and staff were instructed to dress in their protective gear. The hospital entrances were closed while staff debated the best way to get the patient into the hospital without putting other patients at risk.

The children’s ward was one of those sealed off.

A hospital employee, who asked not to be named, said they were told about the patient at about midday.

“None of the hospital wards wanted to receive the patient as staff feared for their lives,” the employee said.

“When word got around as to what was happening, a number of staff decided to go home out of fear of coming into contact with the patient. Doctors even threatened to leave if the patient came through.”

The employee confirmed that the hospital was providing training on how to deal with Ebola but said her main concern was the protective gear.

The masks did not fit properly and staff were worried they could catch the virus through the openings in the protective gear.

“Everyone is worried about contracting Ebola and about being around this patient,” she said.

[more here]

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