Ebola survivors in Sierra Leone key in training health providers

Mohamed Turay lies on a hospital cot, surrounded by health care workers.They arecovered headto toe infull biohazard suits.

In a quiet, pained voice, Turay tells the doctors about his symptoms vomiting, diarrhea and excruciatingpain in his muscles and joints.

Dr. Mariama Mahmoud wipes his brow and tries to provide comforting words, Have faithyou will get well. She pats Turay's hand and says, You are getting the best care.

I've seen other people suffer more than me, I've seen people die of this disease.- Ebola survivor MohamedTuray

This scene could be happening in any of theEbola treatment centres that are now operational across Sierra Leone.

Butthis is only a training exercise, conducted in areplica treatment unit built in a stadium in the capital, Freetown.

That said, these patients are not merely role-playing they are actualsurvivors of Ebola.

• Ebola outbreak: Quarantine 'just like a jail' in Sierra Leone
• Map: Tracking the spread of the deadly Ebola virus

The survivors are actually the people whowent through the disease, they experienced the disease,saysDr.MusafaSenyonga, whohelped design thistraining program in Liberia in October and hassince brought it to SierraLeone.

If youregoing to talk about the signs and symptoms and emotions, they would be the best people to bring out this whole picture.

The role ofsurvivors has proven so valuable to training health care professionals who will be treating Ebola for the firsttimethat the course, run by the Ebola response teams for the International Organization of Migration (IOM) and World Health Organization (WHO) is now in high demand, training up to 60 much-needed health care workers a week in Freetown.

Ive seen other people suffer more than me. Ive seen people die of this disease, so itis very important for me to share thisidea with other people, says Mohamed Turay, wholost his wife, father, brother and aunt to Ebola.

Valuable knowledge

Just outsideTuraysmock treatment room, fellowsurvivorFontiKargbo, whooften assumes the role of a patient,is timing each scenario to make sure the traineesarent in their hot, protective gear for too long.

Kargboswife was infected withEbola while working as a nurse.A patient she was caring fordid not disclose he had been in contact with someone who died of the virus,so sheonlywore latex gloves.

By the time they realized the truth,Kargboswife, two children and two other familymembers had become infected.All of them later died.

I dont want the mistake to happen to my own family to happen to others,Kargbosays.Thats why as a survivor Im also playing my key role to ensure people dont die of this Ebola again.

There is little doubt about the value traineesplace on the survivor's perspective.

Ive always been asking, Why are thesurvivors not involved in thefight?Dr. Mariam Mahmoud says from behind her surgical mask.

Wevelearned a lotfrom them, their recommendations, theirexperiences and what theywent through.

Shunned in community

Unfortunately,Ebola survivors are not likely to find that kind of appreciation in their owncommunities.Even with a certificate declaring them Ebola-free, they are often feared and shunned by friends and neighbours.

I don't want the same mistake to happen to my own family to happen to others.- FontiKargbo, Ebola survivor

Mohamed Turaysays before Ebola, he used to put his television set outside his home, where the whole neighbourhood would gather to watch.

But sinceI was contracting this disease, none of them cometo my compound.

Indeed, being an Ebola survivor can be a lonely existence.

Sometimes when I sit down in my corner and think of my wife, my father, I don't feel very good, he reflects.Ive lost so many things during this crisis.

FontiKargbo says being part of the fight against Ebola providesa distractionat least.

If I sit at home, obviously I think a lot, especiallyabout my children and my wife, who are no longer there," he says, adding that without them,"thehouse is too big for me."

Being part of the Ebola training, he says, "wipes off" some of that "stress."