Sierra Leone’s Leading Doctor Dies of Ebola

Revelation 6:7,8 NCV When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!"8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse. Its rider was named death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill people by war, by starvation, by disease, and by the wild animals of the earth.

Government officials in Sierra Leone announced the country’s leading doctor died from Ebola Thursday just hours after the arrival of experimental drugs to treat him.

Dr. Victor Willoughby contracted the virus after working on a patient that came in complaining of pain in his organs.   The patient, a senior banker in the nation, was later confirmed to have had Ebola after his death.

Sierra Leone Chief Medical Officer Brima Kargbo said that the experimental drug ZMapp was flown into the country in a frozen form but had not thawed when Dr. Willoughby’s health declined to the point of death.

His death makes the 11th doctor in Sierra Leone to die from Ebola during the massive outbreak out of 12 infected.  In addition to the doctors, 109 of 142 health care workers infected with the virus have died.

“We’ve lost personal friends and colleagues we’ve worked with. It’s extremely depressing and frustrating. You can talk to someone today and tomorrow they are Ebola-infected,” Dr M’Baimba Baryoh said.  “The tension, the depression, it’s a lot of pressure. You start having nightmares because of Ebola.”

The epidemic’s official death toll continues to rise toward a gruesome new mark, closing in on 7,000 total deaths.  Officials admit that the death toll is likely much higher than the official count as many families in rural areas have buried victims without seeking government assistance.

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