A Welsh doctor is vowing to return to Liberia to help Ebola victims after she quarantined herself for three weeks and treated dozens of patients with the deadly disease, The Daily Mail reported on Wednesday.
Dr. Nathalie MacDermott, 32, spoke about her ordeal for the first time, revealing that out of the 100 patients she helped, only three survived.
"It felt like we were sitting on a time bomb which was slowly exploding under us and there was nothing we could do," Dr. MacDermott told The Independent.
She added: "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."
She spent three weeks in Liberia treating outbreak victims with the help of relief organization Samaritan's Purse. She watched American colleagues Dr. Kent Brantly and aid worker Nancy Writebol fall ill with Ebola and helped them before they were flown home for treatment.
But, after returning home in Cardiff, Wales, Dr. MacDermott said she made the decision to quarantine herself in her home for three weeks out of fear of having the disease. She only kept in touch with friends and family through Skype, following the advice from Public Health Wales. She even became a virtual guest at a wedding.
Dr. MacDermott is not infected, as it turns out, and has rejoined colleagues at the Swansea-based Singleton Hospital. She wants to specialize in pediatric infectious diseases, and said she wouldn't hesitate to go back to Liberia to help.
"There is so much work to be done and if I could get leave I would definitely go out there and help again," she told The Daily Mail. "They need healthcare staff to not only care for patients, but help to contain the spread of infection."
