After being abroad on a dangerous mercy mission‚ the first thing most of them wanted to do was embrace their loved ones.
But‚ according to protocol‚ they couldn’t. Not for three weeks at least.
On March 22‚ a South African team of six professional nurses and one doctor returned from a two-month stint at the Goderich Emergency Ebola Treatment Centre in Sierra Leone.
There they treated 98 patients‚ of whom 32 survived.
As the plane landed‚ three members from Right to Care‚ a non-profit that organised recruitment and communication‚ ensured the team signed off on protocol that required they “remain in self-monitored isolation from the community” for 21 days‚ before meeting their families.
They could live with family but sexual and intimate contact was banned.
They were advised to avoid crowded places but could get groceries and take public transport if they took less than two hours.
They were given thermometers with which to record their temperature twice‚ daily.
Lucy Thukwane‚ a professional nurse‚ was delighted to come home to a welcome banner‚ cake and flowers from her partner and 12-year-old daughter.
Niri Santhilal‚ head of human resources at Right to Care‚ said the medical team used a WhatsApp group to keep track of everyone’s mental and physical health.
She thinks the best support wasn’t external counseling‚ which was available‚ but friendships between the co-workers.
On April 11‚ the medical team completed 21 days of quarantine.
“If your mom sees you back from war‚ she’s just happy her son is alive‚” said Billy Nyaku‚ a team member.
Neo Mokone‚ another member‚ said she stayed alone in her apartment for three days before meeting her family. Some friends preferred to meet only after six months.
Thukwane is angered by South Africa’s xenophobic violence. “I left to save my fellow brothers and sisters in Africa and people are killing them here‚” she said.
Many of the nurses are unemployed because they quit their jobs to join the response team.
But Thukwane says the high-pressure environment‚ in which they had to communicate with Italian and Korean doctors‚ has made her a better professional.
According to the World Health Organisation‚ there was one new health-worker infection in the week leading up to April 12‚ with the total increasing to 864 since the outbreak’s start.
Tough homecoming for SA’s Ebola nurses
But‚ according to protocol‚ they couldn’t. Not for three weeks at least.
On March 22‚ a South African team of six professional nurses and one doctor returned from a two-month stint at the Goderich Emergency Ebola Treatment Centre in Sierra Leone.
There they treated 98 patients‚ of whom 32 survived.
As the plane landed‚ three members from Right to Care‚ a non-profit that organised recruitment and communication‚ ensured the team signed off on protocol that required they “remain in self-monitored isolation from the community” for 21 days‚ before meeting their families.
They could live with family but sexual and intimate contact was banned.
They were advised to avoid crowded places but could get groceries and take public transport if they took less than two hours.
They were given thermometers with which to record their temperature twice‚ daily.
Lucy Thukwane‚ a professional nurse‚ was delighted to come home to a welcome banner‚ cake and flowers from her partner and 12-year-old daughter.
Niri Santhilal‚ head of human resources at Right to Care‚ said the medical team used a WhatsApp group to keep track of everyone’s mental and physical health.
She thinks the best support wasn’t external counseling‚ which was available‚ but friendships between the co-workers.
On April 11‚ the medical team completed 21 days of quarantine.
“If your mom sees you back from war‚ she’s just happy her son is alive‚” said Billy Nyaku‚ a team member.
Neo Mokone‚ another member‚ said she stayed alone in her apartment for three days before meeting her family. Some friends preferred to meet only after six months.
Thukwane is angered by South Africa’s xenophobic violence. “I left to save my fellow brothers and sisters in Africa and people are killing them here‚” she said.
Many of the nurses are unemployed because they quit their jobs to join the response team.
But Thukwane says the high-pressure environment‚ in which they had to communicate with Italian and Korean doctors‚ has made her a better professional.
According to the World Health Organisation‚ there was one new health-worker infection in the week leading up to April 12‚ with the total increasing to 864 since the outbreak’s start.
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