Ebola treatment center in Liberia ceases operations

An Ebola treatment center in Ganta, Liberia -- operated by PCI Liberia, a global development organization that oversees projects dedicated to improving health and ending hunger -- officially closed this week.

"It's a bittersweet celebration as we say goodbye to many members of our medical team who have fought Ebola since the early days and have become an important part of the PCI family," Jolene Mullins, PCI Liberia's county director, said.

Liberia was hit earlier this year by a pandemic of Ebola, an acute viral illness spread
through human-to-human contact that when left untreated can lead to death.

"It was a frightening time, but after meeting the Ganta team, fielded by Dr. Collins Bowah, county health officer; Dr. Paye Gbanmie, medical director; and the Nimba County health team, I knew that this was a group of the most committed and compassionate health professional and auxiliary staff I had ever met," Mullins said.

Mullins headed the center's operations with the assistance of Dr. Teweldebrhan Abrha and with backing from the U.S. Agency for International Development Office of Foreign Disaster (USAID/OFDA) and the Liberian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW).

"As I think back, I am reminded that so many partners, including PCI, had never run a health facility like this, and the concerns on both sides of the world on how to fight this horrible scourge while keeping PCI staff safe," Mullins said.