First Netherlands ebola patient is Nigerian peacekeeper

The Netherlands will likely soon receive its first Ebola patient for treatment. De Telegraaf reports that medical specialists are ready to care for a Nigerian who has contracted the deadly virus.

This involves a soldier of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Liberia. The soldier contributed to the fight against Ebola by ensuring that rescue workers can safely do their job. By providing shelter and care for this soldier, the Netherlands is meeting a request from the World Health Organization (WHO).

The soldier will be brought to the Netherlands on a special flight. Upon arrival he will be treated in the emergency hospital of the University Medical Center Utrecht. This will be done in strict isolation by a team of doctors and nurses who have been trained for this situation. The Nigerian was expected to arrive in the Netherlands yesterday. That did not happen because his condition needed to be further examined. Insiders now expect the man to arrive this weekend, De Telegraaf reports.

These same insiders emphasized that they are fully prepared for treating the Ebola patient and that this is not an unexpected case. The Health Inspectorate recently inspected all university medical centers (UMC) in the Netherlands and came to the conclusion that the UMC can safely treat Ebola patients.

Transportation for the man is not quite certain yet. The Nigerian must be strong enough to reasonably get through the flight to our country. A rapidly deteriorating disease pattern could hinder that.

Minister Edith Schippers of Public Health previously announced that the Netherlands has offered four beds to treat international rescue workers affected by Ebola. Germany, France and Switzerland have also offered shelter.