‘Extremely Ill’ Ebola Patient Expected to Arrive in Nebraska Saturday
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Photo by Eric Francis/Getty Images(OMAHA, Neb.) — Martin Salia, the surgeon being flown from West Africa to Nebraska for treatment for Ebola, may be in worse shape than the previous patients successfully treated in the United States, the hospital says.
Salia will be the third Ebola patient treated at Nebraska Medical Center since the summer. He is expected to arrive there on Saturday afternoon.
According to a statement from the hospital, the medical flight crew that is transporting the patient has evaluated him and determined that “although he is extremely ill, his condition was stable enough for him to make the lengthy flight to Omaha.”
“We immediately started preparing the unit and notifying staff members of this possibility,” Dr. Phil Smith, medical director of the Nebraska Medical Center Biocontainment Unit said. “We’ve obviously been through this a couple of times before so we know what to expect…Our staff has had a break since treating our last patient, so I know we’re ready to go.”
Dr. Rick Sacra and NBC journalist Ashoka Mukpo were previously treated at Nebraska Medical Center. Both have since recovered.
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