Ebola-Stricken West Africa Faces Shortage Of HCWs, E.U., Aid Groups Warn

News outlets report on warnings about a shortage of health care workers who can treat Ebola in West Africa from E.U. officials returning from the region and humanitarian workers testifying before a House subcommittee.

Associated Press: E.U.: many more health workers needed for Ebola
“Thousands more physicians, especially epidemiologists, and other health professionals are needed to halt and eradicate Ebola, European Union officials said Tuesday after returning from countries in West Africa hit by the deadly epidemic…” (Dahlburg, 11/17).

CQ HealthBeat: Front Line Workers Say Ebola Relief Marred by Shortages, Poor Planning
“The slowing of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has made it clear that fewer treatment units are needed than originally thought but big shortages of medical workers and protective gear mar the international response, witnesses told lawmakers at a House subcommittee hearing Tuesday…” (Reichard, 11/18).

The Hill: NGOs: Ebola doctors desperately needed
“The pipeline of Ebola doctors and nurses in West Africa is still running dry even as money increasingly flows into the region, leaders of the nongovernmental effort warned Tuesday. ‘We face a severe shortage of adequately trained health professionals, both national and international,’ Rabih Torbay, a vice president of the nonprofit International Medical Corps, told a congressional panel…” (Ferris, 11/18).

NPR: Aid Groups See A Drop-Off In U.S. Health Volunteers To Fight Ebola
“The federal agency that oversees many American health care workers volunteering in Ebola-stricken regions of West Africa says there’s been a significant decline in the number of people who are willing to go. International aid groups attribute that drop to the mandatory quarantine rules implemented by New York and New Jersey last month…” (11/18).

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