Friday, August 19, 2016

Follow Up Friday: Ebola Edition -- Where Are British Public Health Authorities, On The Delayed £4,000 Bonus For Pauline Cafferkey?


Yet another month has rolled by, and still no service bonus for the Ebola hero and nurse named Pauline Cafferkey. We've been covering it, here -- as an offshoot of stories surrounding Merck's Ebola vaccine candidate.

What's new is that the British Health authorities are now saying Ms. Cafferkey concealed her high tempurature, on return to the UK. What's frustrating about that is that eye witnesses have consistently indicated (and PHE is now confirming) that PHE did not follow its own procedures, and encouraged the nurses to take each others' tempurature. After waiting a bit, with an initial high reading, her temprature decreased, and PHE allowed her to fly on. I for one am uncertain how that conduct, even if proven, should merit discipline, of any sort. She was a pure volunteer in Sierra Leone, returning home. From The Guardian (UK), overnight then -- a bit:

. . . .PHE had nurses at the airport to take the temperatures of the travellers, but, the Guardian has been told, not enough were stationed there.

One of the volunteers who returned at the same time as Cafferkey said they were encouraged by PHE staff to take one another’s temperatures and complete the forms.

Cafferkey’s temperature was high, so PHE’s staff were alerted, said the volunteer, who wanted to remain anonymous. Her temperature was taken six more times, but eventually, the volunteer said, Cafferkey was told she could board her flight to Glasgow. . . .

PHE was unprepared and did not follow correct procedure in managing the screening process,” the volunteer told the Guardian. . . .


Now you know -- and, following my theme of yesterday, this too -- volunteering to serve ones' brothers and sisters half a world away, at great personal risk, is another "idea that should live on." I will certainly keep a good thought for her, here. Off now, walking in, on a glorious Friday -- at half past nine, almost on the dot. Grin. . . with fighter jets screaming overhead, in practice runs. . . .

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