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From the Info-machine - highlights mine:
More on Operation SIRONA:
The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health, along with the Honourable Robert Nicholson, Minister of National Defence, and Dr. Gregory Taylor, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, today announced further action and support to respond to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
Canada is addressing the need for medical assistance on the ground in West Africa by launching the “Join the Fight Against Ebola” campaign, which will promote the recruitment of Canadian healthcare workers through the Canadian Red Cross. Much needed healthcare workers will help manage existing Ebola Treatment Centres in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, by providing care for patients and allowing facilities to expand the number of treatment beds available to patients. Recruitment efforts will focus on medical doctors and nurses, psychosocial support workers, water and sanitation engineers, and infection prevention and control workers.
Canada will also provide $20.9 million in new additional funding to ten humanitarian organizations working to address the increased humanitarian needs of people affected by the Ebola crisis. The funding will support treatment efforts, training activities and psychological support, as well as help communities and families cope with the outbreak. It will also help address urgent training needs for medical personnel and emergency experts who will be deployed to Ebola-affected countries.
In addition, up to 40 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) health care and support staff will deploy to Sierra Leone for up to six months to support efforts on the ground in West Africa. Canadian military doctors, nurses, medics and support staff will work alongside their United Kingdom military counterparts operating at the Kerry Town Treatment Unit (KTTU) to treat local and international healthcare workers who have been exposed to the Ebola virus disease ....
More on Operation SIRONA:
More on the Brit work/Op GRITROCK in Sierra Leone here and here, and the Kerry Town Treatment Centre here.... The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) mission is called Operation SIRONA, and in augmenting the UK Operation GRITROCK, will focus efforts in Kerry Town, Sierra Leone, treating suspected and confirmed cases of Ebola in local and international healthcare workers.
Up to 40 Canadian Armed Forces healthcare and support staff will deploy to Sierra Leone in support of the Government of Canada’s whole-of-government response to fighting the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Canadian military doctors, nurses, medics and support staff will augment the UK military medical personnel operating at the UK's Kerry Town Treatment Unit (KTTU) in Kerry Town, Sierra Leone. Prior to deploying to WA, CAF medical personnel will receive the same training as their UK counterparts at the Army Medical Services Training Centre (AMSTC) in Strensall, UK.
The initial deployment into Sierra Leone will commence late December and will be preceded by comprehensive training which will allow CAF personnel to safely and effectively augment United Kingdom military medical personnel operating at the Kerry Town Treatment Unit.
Mission and training
Canadian military doctors, nurses, medics and support staff will work alongside their UK military partners to treat local and international health care workers who have been exposed to the Ebola virus disease. The goal of the UK mission is to fight Ebola by providing local healthcare support and to build a capability that will be handed to NGOs and local healthcare workers to manage and staff.
Beginning on December 8, 2014, CAF personnel will train alongside their British counterparts at the state-of-the-art British Army Medical Services Training Centre in Strensall, UK. Training together will ensure full interoperability prior to deployment.
Training will include working with experts in infectious disease, including Ebola, and with health workers with experience working in Sierra Leone, as well as practical scenarios in a simulated Ebola treatment centre. Training will also encompass cultural awareness and language training.
CAF personnel will be fully trained on the use of personal protective equipment required to keep staff safe and to prevent infection.
Scheduled to be operating in Sierra Leone by December 28, 2014, the initial deployment is expected to last up to six months for command and support staff. The Canadian military health care personnel will be rotated every two months during the deployment ....