- Dr Nathalie MacDermott confined herself to her Cardiff flat for three weeks after arriving home from a two-week stint treating ebola victims in Liberia
- 32-year-old has since been given the all-clear and is back at work
- She worked at the same Samaritan’s Purse clinic in Monrovia as American victims Dr Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol
- When Dr Brantly fell ill she took over the running of the centre
- Of the roughly 100 patients she saw, only three survived
- She said: ‘It was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life’
- But Dr MacDermott has vowed to return to help more victims of the disease
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A doctor who quarantined herself for three weeks after treating dozens of ebola patients in West Africa has vowed to return to disease ravaged Liberia to help more victims.
Dr Nathalie MacDermott, from Cardiff, has today spoken of her ordeal for the first time, revealing of the 100 patients she helped, just three survived.
The 32-year-old spent a fortnight in Liberia with relief organisation Samaritan’s Purse, treating victims of the epidemic.
During that time she watched as two colleagues, Americans Dr Kent Brantly and aid worker Nancy Writebol fell ill with the deadly virus, helping nurse them before they were flown home for treatment.
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Dr Nathalie MacDermott, has been revealed as the British national, who put herself into quarantine after returning from Liberia fearing she had ebola. The 32-year-old is back at work at Singleton Hospital in Swansea after health officials gave her the all-clear
Dr MacDermott, pictured in her protective clothing, right, worked for the organisation Samaritan’s Purse in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, at the same treatment clinic as American victims of the deadly virus Dr Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol
After returning to her home in Cardiff, Dr MacDermott said she decided to confine herself to her flat for three weeks, fearing she could have contracted the disease.
Following advice from Public Health Wales, she only kept in touch with friends and family via Skype, even becoming a virtual guest at a wedding.
But the 32-year-old has now been given the all-clear and has rejoined colleagues at the Swansea-based Singleton Hospital.
She said: ‘Before I went out there it was apparent to me that there was an epidemic that was spiralling out of control.
‘When I got out there with Samaritan’s Purse I felt like we were sitting on a timebomb waiting to explode.
‘And it was very apparent that there were increasing numbers of ebola cases and there were not enough staff to look after them and they were struggling to get on top of everything.
‘It was probably one of the most traumatic experiences of my life.’
At her treatment centre in the capital, Monrovia, there was a 90 per cent mortality rate among the roughly 100 patients she dealt with.
‘It was very challenging to manage so many patients and see so few survive,’ she said.
‘Ebola is a horrible disease and the way it causes people to die is unpleasant.
‘And
the trauma to the families is terrible – knowing that their loves ones
had ebola and the likelihood they wouldn’t survive was very difficult to
manage as well.’
Dr
MacDermott took over the day-to-day running of the centre when Dr
Brantly, 33, and 59-year-old Ms Writebol were isolated after developing
the potentially fatal condition.
Both
were flown back to the U.S. for treatment and have since been cured,
with Dr Brantly describing his return to health as ‘miraculous’.
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