Posted 14 July 2015 - 10:27
Posted 14 July 2015 - 10:27
News
Military nurse who beat Ebola receives medal from Downing Street
Corporal Anna Cross, who became the world's first patient to receive an experimental drug treatment for Ebola, has been awarded a medal for her services in helping to respond to the outbreak of the virus in West Africa
A military nurse who became the world's first patient to receive an experimental drug treatment for Ebola has been awarded a medal for her bravery and services in helping tackle the spread of the disease.
Corporal Anna Cross was among a number of the military personnel and NHS healthcare staff who travelled from the UK to work in West Africa to stop the spread of the Ebola virus who were presented with an Ebola medal last week at a reception hosted by prime minister David Cameron.
She was awarded the medal by health secretary Jeremy Hunt, foreign secretary Philip Hammond, international development secretary Justine Greening and defence secretary Michael Fallon.
Cpl Cross joined the Army Reserves in 2013 as a staff nurse and went to Sierra Leone in February, however she was sent home to the UK in early March after testing positive for the virus. She was successfully treated at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.
Mr Cameron said: ‘This medal is about paying tribute to the hard work of thousands of British heroes up and down the country who travelled to West Africa and put themselves at considerable personal risk.
‘From setting up Emergency Treatment Centres and rapid diagnostics labs, through to providing vital safety equipment training, ensuring burials happened safely and safeguarding orphans, we owe them all a debt of gratitude.’
The medal, which has been designed by engraver John Bergdahl, shows a flame on a background depicting the Ebola virus with the words 'For Service' and below ‘Ebola Epidemic West Africa’.