EK: I’m a state registered nurse and later trained as a critical care nurse in Korle-Bu, Ghana. And when I returned, I returned to the ER [emergency room]. Then we had the outbreak of Ebola.

Q: I’m happy to know that you’re a nurse with an area of specialization in critical care. Why did you decide to become a nurse?

EK: The passion was there since I was a child because my mother worked as a nurse’s aide at a mental hospital. I saw how people were struggling, and there wasn’t much that could be done to save them. When I grew up, I wanted to be part of those saving lives and giving people a better future. Now, I am a charge nurse at the critical care unit in Connaught Hospital.

Q: When the Ebola started, you were still working at Connaught?

EK: No, I was working at the PCMH [Princess Christian Maternity Hospital].

Q: When the Ebola started, how did you get to know about it?

EK: From a radio program and information from the Ministry of Health. We were called upon to be trained in infection prevention conducted by our chief nursing and medical officer. We did a training for three days. Then, we were sent out to our different areas. We had our first case around July 2014.

Q: What was your exact role during that time?

EK: My role was to mentor some of the nurses. I was the charge nurse keeping records and taking all vital statistics. I also used to go in and do deliveries, treatment, feeding of patients, and all. The nurses would do the normal nursing procedures, recording their vitals in the morning. Normally, I worked in the morning and up to 4:00, 5:00 in the evening. I encouraged the nurses so that they would continue to keep monitoring the patient. But when Partners [in] Health came, they were very, very helpful and they encouraged us. With the intervention of Partners in Health, we started giving IV infusions, and many of these patients now, they are being saved and rescued from death.

Q: Do you think more mothers died during that time than maybe during the other times when Ebola was not there?

EK: Yes, more mothers died that time. More mothers died because of fear. Like a lady would deliver somewhere outside, and she came because of profuse bleeding, and we have to give her a transfusion and the rest of it. Other nurses—even some of the doctors, “Why do we want to give them blood? They are bleeding. And let us wait for the results.” But by the time we wait now for the Ebola results, they’ve passed away because of the bleeding. So later on, everything we gave transfusions.

Q: So how did you manage to make sure that the nurses or the team members were available twenty-four hours as long as the patients were there?

EK: We worked on paid shifts. We start at 8:00 in the morning and we end around 2:30, 3:00. Then, the other ones take over, and they end over around 8:00 to 9:00. Then, the night shifts run from around 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 in the morning. It was three shifts, and we would do the handing over and taking over correctly. Whatever is being handled, we will be informed, and whatever is coming, we will be informed. And for their own supply, for the night partners, we built a store outside and a store inside. I leave everything they need. I will say this is for the day shift, and this is for the night shift. Whatever is left, of course, we will give them more than enough. Because at times, we don’t know—the workload or the number of cases that will come so we give them extra.

Q: From what you went through, what do you think were some of the reasons why the epidemic spread so fast and killed a lot of our colleagues and families?

EK: Let me say it was out of ignorance and basic knowledge concerning Infection Prevention Control. Because most of us, even in the nursing field at that time, were not too aware. Using gloves was maybe only for those doing deliveries. Then, it spread again because of fear. Many people were afraid and they were just doing things on their own. They would run from one point—when they have an attack, they leave their own family, go and stay with another family. Maybe that family had already been infected. We had somebody living not too far from PCMH Hospital, a boy, a youth. The mother died. One of the sisters died before they realized it was Ebola. He just sneaked away from home and went to the other relatives and he had already been infected. He started feeling sick there. Most of the family died because of Ebola and denial. Denial. They will say that it is not Ebola, it is not Ebola. That was the reason.

Q: Do you think your government was prepared?

EK: The government was not prepared for an outbreak like that. Because at the initial stage, you know in Freetown here, the disease came in gradually. And there was denial. Some would leave their own provinces and come down to Freetown here. There was no protective clothing, and even the nurses were not too knowledgeable about handling those cases well. The government was really not prepared. It took them some time to get a response to the disease. That was why it also spread.

Q: So if we had to do it again, or if it had to happen again, or any epidemic, how prepared are you? Or how prepared do you think is our country to manage the crisis?

EK: I think they should have a command center in place. Because even now, they are doing their continuous monitoring and teaching people. We have to fight for the way I use my gloves. Because even now, there aren’t enough gloves for us. We aren’t using that full PPE anymore. We’re almost going back to where we came from.

Q: No, let’s hope for the best. And especially since the trainings are still continuing.

EK: They are continuing and continue monitoring. And in every ward now, we have an IPC focused infection prevention person that is watching. And we continue to do our hand-wash regularly at the station there. Even those without tap, we are using the bucket. That’s one good thing. We are keeping it just in case [laughs].

Q: That’s very good. What is maybe one thing too that you remember most that was really touching during the Ebola experience that you had, that you’d want the nurses in Sierra Leone to know and beyond like us and—

EK: Well, you shouldn’t judge everyone, and maybe some are weak. They can’t stand certain crises. Some are strong. I was strong, because all the nurses were running away from me. And even one of our doctors. After I left his office, he removed everything and had the cleaners come and scrub everywhere. Then he sent me a message saying that I shouldn’t go into his office at any time. Let that be the last time I’m going into that office.

Q: He told you that?

EK: Yes, I was really disturbed by that, but I knew that’s just because of fear. That’s why he treated me that way. When the supplies are coming, the head of the hospital wanted to handle everything, but he’s so afraid that he doesn’t even want to see these patients. He will run scared, but when the good things are coming, he wants to do everything. He wants to be in charge. That is where we are having misunderstandings. Because what the patients are entitled to, and even the nurses who are taking the risk, the doctors want also to benefit. That was [laughs] my other experience. I believe when you are well protected, and you take your necessary precaution, you will be free from this.

Q: Has the experience changed you or made you stronger?

EK: Yes, it made me stronger and made me believe and trust God more. Because that was my daily commitment to God, saying, “Lord, I’m doing this because you called me to do it. And I will not die. And we also [phonetic] declare your goodness, and we do this for Him.” There was a Scripture I was reading at that time, the Samson story. Samson died with his enemy. He was able to achieve much, but he died with his enemy, and I told God that I should not die with my enemy. Ebola is my enemy. I shouldn’t die with him. I will fight until the very end. And I was fortunate. [laughs]

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Elizabeth Koroma was interviewed for Frontline Nurses by Margaret Loma Phiri on August 13, 2019 in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

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