Sacra, 52, a family physician from Holden, Mass., will treat patients at SIM's ELWA Hospital in Monrovia.
He will not be working at the Ebola treatment units on the ELWA campus,
but will treat patients with malaria and chronic health issues, such as
high blood pressure and diabetes, as well as provide maternity and
pediatrics care – much-needed services with so few hospitals available.
He is expected to remain in Liberia for about a month.
SIM's ELWA Hospital became a model for other hospitals in West Africa
during the Ebola crisis, developing treatment facilities, screening
processes and offering other critical care medical services when other
facilities were shutting down.
"I am feeling well physically, and it seems the Lord is opening the door for me to return to regular ministry trips to Liberia,"
said Sacra. "My physician colleagues are working very hard, keeping
ELWA Hospital open for a wide range of patients, as well as managing
Ebola patients at the ELWA 2 unit. I hope to be able to lighten their
load, providing both compassionate care to our patients, as well as
contributing in some small way to rebuilding and refreshing the staff,
which has been through so much in the past six months."
"This
demonstrates how Rick has such a heart for serving others and using his
skills to treat those suffering from various conditions," said Bruce Johnson, president of SIM USA. "We're so thankful for his successful treatment and recovery from Ebola. He has spent nearly 20 years serving patients in Liberia, and now he's ready to get back to work doing the things he's trained and gifted to perform."
In
early August, as the Ebola outbreak was spreading, Sacra volunteered to
return to Liberia. In six days he worked with SIM Liberian staff to
reopen ELWA Hospital, when other hospitals were closed or closing.
After contracting Ebola, he was transported to The University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, where he successfully underwent treatment.
Sacra serves on the faculty of the University of Massachusetts Family Practice Residency program and as a medical missionary with SIM.
Those interested in learning the most current information about the medical response team at ELWA Hospital in Monrovia should visit www.helpebola.org.
SIM (www.simusa.org) is an international Christian mission organization with a staff of nearly 3,000 workers from 70 nationalities serving
in more than 65 countries. In addition to medicine, SIM serves on every
continent in areas of education, community development, public health
and Christian witness. While SIM stood for Sudan Interior Mission when
it was founded 120 years ago, it is now a global mission known as SIM
(pronounced S-I-M).
SOURCE SIM USA
RELATED LINKS
http://www.simusa.org
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