Sheik Umar Khan

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Sheik Umar Khan (born March 6, 1975 in Sierra Leone - † July 29, 2014 in Kailahun , Sierra Leone) was a leading expert and doctor in the fight against the Ebola virus from Sierra Leone, which himself died of the disease. After he became known to be infected with the Ebola virus, the Minister of Health of Sierra Leone, Miatta Kargbo , described him as a “national hero”.

Career

The Khan, who comes from Lungi in northern Sierra Leone, studied at Sierra Leone University's College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in medicine and a bachelor's degree in surgery in 2001 and began working as a doctor specializing in tropical medicine and infectious diseases. Shortly after graduating from university, he served for the Ministry of Public Health and Hygiene in Sierra Leone, which he held until 2005.

Khan was a recognized expert in the fight against diseases such as Ebola and Lassa fever and had worked in this area for almost ten years. Since 2005 he has been the head of the Lassa fever program at Kenema Government Hospital , 300 kilometers east of the capital Freetown , an area with the world's highest rate of Lassa fever.

Between 2010 and 2013 he also completed a three-year specialist training course in internal medicine at the Ghana College of Physicians. As part of this training, he worked at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra .

Ebola virus epidemic 2014

Khan was committed to fighting the Ebola virus and caring for over a hundred infected patients as the Ebola virus has spread massively in West Africa since the outbreak in February 2014 . Khan's home country Sierra Leone was considered the epicenter of the epidemic that started in neighboring Guinea .

While fighting the virus, the doctor infected himself and died a week after the disease was diagnosed in a clinic in northern Sierra Leone. According to unconfirmed reports, Khan was eligible for treatment in Hamburg . According to reports in the “New York Times”, he was also intended for treatment with the preparation ZMapp , which had previously been used to treat two US helpers and a Spaniard who had since died. However, this was rejected by his treatment team because of the uncertain effect.

Khan was aware of the risk. “I'm afraid of Ebola. I'm scared for my life because I love it, ”he said in an interview with Reuters just before he fell ill. According to eyewitnesses, he calmly accepted his own illness. He encouraged those around him to continue the fight against Ebola. How he got infected is unclear, especially since he was considered a very conscientious doctor among colleagues. He always used a special mirror to check whether his protective suit had holes.

Dozens of doctors and nurses contracted the Ebola virus while working. Most did not survive. A Ugandan doctor had died in Liberia , and one of the leading doctors at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Monrovia also died from the disease. In August 2014, the Ministry of Health in Sierra Leone reported the death of another leading Ebola doctor, Dr. Modupeh Cole .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ebola virus: Top Sierra Leone doctor, Sheik Umar Khan, dies of disease. In: The Independent of July 29, 2014 (accessed August 21, 2014).
  2. ↑ Brownie Marie: Top Ebola doctor killed by the virus in Sierra Leone ( Christian Today , July 30, 2014)
  3. ↑ sueddeutsche.de: Ebola fighter dies of virus himself (accessed on August 19, 2014)
  4. ↑ myjoyonline.com: Late Sierra Leone Doctor trained at Korle Bu (accessed on August 19, 2014)
  5. ↑ Handelsblatt.com: Germans are supposed to leave the Ebola area (accessed on August 19, 2014)
  6. ↑ Rainer Schüller, derStandard.at: The virologist that Ebola caught up with (accessed on August 19, 2014)
  7. ↑ Spiegel online: Doctor in Sierra Leone died of Ebola (accessed on August 19, 2014)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Khan, Sheik Umar
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Sierra Leonean medic
DATE OF BIRTH March 6, 1975
PLACE OF BIRTH Sierra Leone
DATE OF DEATH 29th July 2014
Place of death Kailahun , Sierra Leone