Shrewsbury scientist Andrew honoured for Ebola aid

Andrew Sandilands, a laboratory manager from Castlefields, was part of a group of volunteers who signed up to use their valuable laboratory skills to help patients affected by the outbreak following a UK Government appeal.

Mr Sandilands, who works at the Animal Plant Health Agency's laboratory in Shrewsbury, was joined by a number of colleagues and spent five weeks working in an Ebola virus treatment centre in Sierra Leone.

After a week's training the volunteers were flown out to work as part of a team of scientists and healthcare specialists at two British-built sites - the Mateneh Ebola Treatment Centre, run by the International Medical Corps and a treatment centre in Port Loko, run by the charity Goal.

Both centres also housed diagnostic laboratories which had been set up by Public Health England.

Mr Sandilands' efforts have now been recognised with the Ebola Medal for Service in West Africa.

The special medal, approved by Her Majesty the Queen, was awarded to those military and civilian personnel who supported the Government's response to the Ebola crisis that began in 2014.

People who have received the medal include armed forces personnel, doctors and nurses from the NHS, scientists and public health specialists and members of the civil service and non-governmental organisations.

Mr Sandilands explained that he found it a challenging, but rewarding experience.

He said: "It's hard to believe that just over a year ago I was preparing to spend Christmas in West Africa.

"It was very moving and humbling to witness the bravery of patients admitted to the treatment centre and hear their stories.

"The shift working was arduous at times and the knowledge that every day you were dealing with a potentially fatal pathogen was stressful, but the rewards came when you witnessed the gradual improvement and ultimate release of survivors.

"The warm friendship and generosity of the many Sierra Leoneans we met in our time out there was overwhelming."

Chris Hadkiss, chief executive at the Animal Plant Health Agency presented the volunteers with medals at the organisation's annual science conference.

He said: "I would like to commend our volunteers for the valuable and selfless role they played in supporting work to tackle the dangerous Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa.

It is thanks to the efforts of all these volunteers, working alongside local healthcare workers that so many areas have been declared Ebola free and so many lives have been saved."