A certified nurse who survived Ebola has been helping to save the lives of others infected with the deadly virus.
Kpetemeni Meine was declared Ebola free last month after surviving a one-month stay in the ELWA treatment center. He says he has already begun to give blood and will continue to do so as long as his blood count is normal.
"I want to give blood if my HP is sufficient. The contribution that (I benefited from) at the center didn't involve my paying any money and I survived. Therefore, I would do it for free, and hope that it is used for the intended purpose, and that is to save lives," said Kpetemeni.
According to Kpetemeni, a doctor whose name he did not disclose,became infected with Ebola and was given 2 units of Kpetemeni's blood.
Kpetemeni has also been working under supervision at an isolation center for children who have come in contact with the virus. He says he is volunteering his services to make sure these children get a chance to live.
"I am immune to the virus and can do a lot towards this Ebola fight. I wrote various ETUs to see if I could work with them, and the government in return called to find out if I was willing to work with children at an isolation center. I agreed," said Kpetemeni.
He adds that for now, he is giving his services free and has no problem with that because he wants to contribute to society in thanksgiving to God and to society for saving his life. "But, the government says it will compensate those of us working at the isolation center, and I am waiting for that," he says.
Meanwhile, Kpetemenisays he still remembers the frightful experience of 'staring death in the face' months ago. According to him, he was the only one to survivethe virus after nine of his medical colleagues all died while trapped in a Paynesville clinic.
Kpetemeni recounted how he contracted the virus after caring for a patient that he didn't know was infected at the Peace Home medical clinic.
"I'm a professional nurse, and when my colleagues and I became infected at Peace, we called the government ambulance and they refused to come for us. Our doctor went to the Ministry of Health and gave them a letter informing them of our condition and they refused to come for us immediately.
"On August 27, 2014, I was taken to ELWA treatment center and tested positive for the virus. But after five days of treatment I started to feel better; all the symptoms subsided."
Further describing his ordeal, Kpetemeni said, "when the doctors first told me that I was positive, I was down hearted and refused to talk to any of the doctors or answer my phone. We were 10 infected at Peace Home, and I was the only person who survived; most of them died in my presence. I knew that I would die also," he said.
Kpetemeni recalled that he lost all hope but after his second test was conducted and came back negative, he knew he had a chance.
"The ELWA atmosphere was hell and all one could see were sick people in all kinds of conditions; not all had Ebola. "Some would contract Ebola in there because the space was congested and the living conditions there were not good. I thank God I made it, and want to see others make it, and I'm working towards helping them," declared Kpetemeni.
Meanwhile the Peace Home medical clinic said to have been functioning for 10 years has reportedly been closed.
Kpetemeni can be reached at 0886479120.
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