Thread: Employment Opportunities

Be careful,don't become a statistic

Hi BBC

I must join in and wish you all the best with your new endeavor.

As for the statistics, I do pray for a cap on those.

"You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din" , I take my hat off to you, it's good to see that you're putting your 'expertise' to such good use.

What was that about 'be known for what you do...............................etc'

Keep safe

Deano

BBC. we wish you and your family the very best for your new venture.

Take care and please do all that is necessary to protect yourself from this terrible virus.

Many of us back here in Australia will be very interested to hear from you when ever you have time to post something.

Please be careful..... and thank you for what you are doing.

It's not often we can make a difference , in a good way, in this World. You and all those with you, can. I dips me lid. bob

Originally Posted by BBC

Contract signed.

Heading out Wed 19 Nov 14 as the Infrastructure/Logistics Manager to import, construct, maintain and then, manage the supply to, a 100 bed hospital in an interesting place called....Sierra Leone.

The Australian Government response to the Ebola crisis.

a colleague is about to head off to Liberia to coordinate efforts there.

Hi BBC
I hope you are keeping well, and some good news, was this at where you are stationed?

Ebola crisis: Girl, 11, successfully treated at Australian-run centre

Meanwhile, in West Africa, Ebola works quietly away.
.

Back. That was certainly, a life experience.

Went under a 3mth contract to take on the Aust govt Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU) at Hastings, in Sierra Leone. My role was as the Infrastructure-Logistics Manager for the ETU and I was under a 3mth contract. The ETU was being constructed by the UK Dept Foreign International Development (DFID).

DFID were constructing the ETU via local contractors with a Royal Engineer team (Sappers)overseeing the construct. My role was to be there with the Sappers during the construct and then, be the signatory for the commissioning and take-over of the unit. This was achieved by Sun 7 Dec 14.

Then, I was responsible for the tsunami of materiel (35 semi-trailer loads) that arrived to enable the operation of the ETU'the logistics. 735 line items with quite a few different brands for a lot of items ie gum boots, face masks, clinical visors etc. A lot of different stock cards that needed to be generated!

It was all up and running successfully by 14 Dec 14. I handed over and departed Sierra Leone on the 21st day prior to the end of my contract. Took me nearly 3 days to get home, via Brussels and then Dubai.
Had informed the Vic Public Health Dept of my arrival flight and then declared where I'd been on arrival in Melbourne.

I was taken aside by AQIS, interviewed by them and then had to wait 1.5hrs for the Vic Public Health Dept Dr to depart from Box Hill and turn up at the airport; despite my email informing them before I left Sierra Leone?.yawn.
Then, I was under documented quarantine. up until 21 days from the date I had departed Sierra Leone. Just procedural really,I had to contact them daily via email with my body temperature record taken twice a day.

Quarantine was about me always being within 1hr of the Melbourne Royal Hospital and not using Public Transport....despite my just having travelled confined on 3 x aircraft around the world with between 150-300 pers on each plane....anyway. Now out of quarantine.

Here is the story:

Brussels was on the way there....I was struggling here overnight....trying to find a bad beer!!



















Freetown, Sierra Leone:

Our accom.



Where we have to eat our meals.




The sort of stuff we had to eat for dinner.





One of our neighbours....



The neighbourhood......






Freetown, Sierra Leone.




Lumley Beach. Just down the road from our accom.




Driving around town......
















Inside the Western Region Emergency Response Centre....



The ETU under construct.












The morgue.




Receiving the materiel....




Ready........





Training......

The first Aussies on the ground...



150 local staff undergoing training....mainly donning and doffing training
















Receiving patients........







Me on the job.....yawn.



Xmas Day.......




Bureh Beach was a place we used to go to spend some time away from everything else...a beautiful place.




There is more than just Ebola in Sierra Leone.



But.....Sierra Leone is a beautiful place......full of beautiful people.......a great life experience.