St Helier scientists receive medal for helping to fight deadly Ebola

Two biomedical scientists from St Helier Hospital have been awarded medals for their efforts and bravery in helping to tackle the devastating Ebola outbreak that swept across parts of Africa this year.

Patrick O’Brien and Anthony Fairbairn usually spend their working days in a laboratory in St Helier Hospital, but as the virus took hold, both men responded to an urgent appeal from Public Health England which asked for virus specialists to go to Sierra Leone.

Patrick was first to go, and just before Christmas last year, flew to the Ebola-stricken country. He said: “Sierra Leone was being hit hard by the epidemic. As a healthcare professional, I knew that I had the necessary skills to make a real difference in this situation. It felt almost like a duty to go out there, and I am so pleased that we were able to help.”

Anthony, who flew over in March, said: “It was an incredible experience, and like Patrick, I was very pleased to be able to make a difference in such difficult and tragic circumstances.

“It was our role to test the blood taken from patients suspected of having Ebola, allowing doctors to diagnose those affected quickly so they could receive treatment. But of course, when you’re dealing with samples as infectious and as potentially deadly as Ebola, you have got to be able to do that without putting yourself or colleagues at risk. It’s not an easy task, but we are trained to deal with situations like this, and with additional training from Public Health England before we flew out there, we were more than capable of getting on with the job in hand.

“We would also like to commend the people of Sierra Leone for the strength of spirit and bravery during such a difficult time for their nation.”

Chief Executive Daniel Elkeles, who officially presented the medals to the two scientists, said: “We are so incredibly proud of Antony and Patrick – they have shown an absolute dedication to the health and wellbeing of people during their hour of need. It’s a testament to their professionalism and bravery that they responded to this urgent call for help in Sierra Leone, and I would personally like to thank them for taking on the challenge.

“They have done our organisation proud, and I would like to congratulate them both on being given the Ebola Medal for Services in West Africa.”