Dr. Martin Salia, 44, has passed away early morning on Monday, November 17, as confirmed by the biocontainment unit authorities of University of Nebraska Medical Center.
This is the second death from Ebola in the United States after the country's patient zero, Thomas Eric Duncan, succumbed to it in early October. Other patients who were diagnosed or brought back to the country for treatment survived.
According to the doctors who treated Salia, the Freetown surgeon who holds a permanent residence in the United States, received treatment during his 13th day of illness, when those who survived received theirs as early as 6th to 8th day after the first symptoms appear. Because of the amount of time that has elapsed, Salia was already very sick when he arrived in the hospital, suffering from a kidney failure and difficulty of breathing. He was also unresponsive.
Nevertheless, the staff performed round-the-lock monitoring and treatment. Salia received ZMapp and plasma therapy as well as underwent dialysis and respiratory support.
On Monday at 4:00 a.m. he was declared dead following a cardiac arrest.
The delay, however, may have been caused by the false negative result the first time he underwent Ebola testing. It's only when his symptoms persisted for another week he requested for another one, which later came back positive. Those he had interacted in between these tests are now being held in quarantine in Sierra Leone.
Salia will be best remembered as a surgeon who provided his best service to his people. He spent most of his time in Freetown, where he worked in more than 2 health care facilities. Before his death, he served the United Methodist Kissy Hospital in the country's capital as its chief medical officer. He left behind his wife, Isatu, and two grown-up children. They currently live in Maryland. Isatu, who requested the state department to help bring her husband to the United States for treatment, expressed her gratitude to the hospital workers for their service.
