See The Epicenter Of Ebola From The Seat Of A Ragtag Liberian Ambulance
With no dispatcher, no police escort, and rudimentary protective gear, Mr. Kamara shunts his secondhand ambulance through the chaos of Monrovia, Liberia in a desperate effort stifle the ebola epidemic at its source. But the odds are only getting longer.
NYT Videographer Ben C. Solomon spent time with Kamara and shot this incredibly harrowing short about what it means to be a first responder in a third-world country at the center of a health disaster.
Warning: The story and visuals will give you an incredible perspective on the ebola situation you probably haven't seen, but it's also emotionally disturbing and graphic.
Karman's ambulance service isn't funded by the government. It's personally financed by an opposition member of Parliament; a Mr. Saah H, Joseph who's name and picture is emblazoned on the old Ford E-Series and another like it he imported this year. California license plates from the ambulance's last line of duty are still clinging to the back door.
The New York Times says there are "15 or so" ambulances in the whole city.
The Liberian's hardware stands at a pretty stark contrast with the vehicles we're seeing trotted out in response to ebola scares in the "first world." Here's the squadron of trucks that showed up at a Spanish airport when a suspected ebola passenger was taken off an Air France flight:
Images: AP