14 Dec 2014

ANZAC-style Ebola treatment centre opens

4:23 pm on 14 December 2014

An ANZAC-style Ebola treatment centre is opening in Sierra Leone tonight.

New Zealand Red Cross nurse Donna Collins in Sierra Leone wearing full personal protection equipment.

New Zealand Red Cross nurse Donna Collins in Sierra Leone wearing full personal protection equipment. Photo: supplied

The Australian-run centre in the capital Freetown, will include 24 clinical staff from New Zealand who will work alongside Australian and Sierra Leone medical personnel.

The ABC reports it will initially look after just five patients but its capacity will be scaled up to 100 beds.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has also announced a $5 million increase in funding to the centre, bringing the total Australian contribution to $A25 million.

She said she welcomed New Zealand's contribution to the facility of $2 million.

Sierra Leone has reported the most new infections of Ebola - more than 1300 over the past three weeks.

A total of 6583 people have died from the disease in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Sierra Leone has overtaken Liberia to report the most cases of the killer virus, recording 1319 new infections in the last three weeks.

"Ebola transmission rates remain very high in Sierra Leone, especially in and around Freetown, where the Hastings Airfield Ebola Treatment Centre is located," Ms Bishop said.

"Treatment and isolation capacity continues to be a critical component of the international response."

The centre is currently staffed by the first cohort of Australian clinical staff, alongside trained Sierra Leonean personnel. A second group of Australians left for Sierra Leone on the weekend.

The Government is advising Australians to reconsider their need to travel to Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

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