Thursday 2 March 2017

Time Magazine’s Person - Nurse Salome Karwah Dies

Liberian nurse Salome Karwah was one of those named as Time magazine's person of the year in 2014 for her frontline work against Ebola. She died in Monrovia last week after giving birth to a son.

Her husband told the BBC that nurses were unwilling to touch her for fear of contracting Ebola - even though she recently tested negative for Ebola.

James Harris said his wife had given birth to their fourth child by Caesarean section on 17 February, but had to be rushed back to hospital after suffering complications.

They were kept waiting in their vehicle for three hours because the nurses were afraid to touch her, Mr Harris said.

"I personally went into the emergency ward to bring a wheelchair to take my wife into the operation room.

"What really hurt me was a nurse on duty, instead of attending to the emergency, was standing by the front counter busy on Facebook," he said.

He believes health workers did not act with more urgency "because she was an Ebola survivor and maybe they thought she still had Ebola".

He also alleged that the hospital had discharged her early after the Caesarean, even though "her blood pressure was high".

Health officials confirmed the case was being investigated.

"The investigation is ongoing, there is not much I can say. As it is now, it is kind of scanty to come out with anything, we have to do a thorough investigation," Liberia's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Francis Kateh, told BBC. May her soul rest in peace.

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