Ebola attacks Africa
When Ebola struck Africa, the most important objective was to contain the virus to prevent the spread of the disease, with the near future goal of eradicating the devastating disease.
Client overview
Addfield were approached by MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières) to provide incinerators to Liberia in support of their ‘Stop Ebola’ campaign, and WFP (World Food Programme) who was supporting the Ebola crisis in Guinea.
An incinerator is needed
The world health organisation had declared the outbreak a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern’ so equipment being supplied to the affected countries needed to be within the emergency response time.
The importance of incineration
The Addfield incinerators meant that aid workers were able to prevent how contagious Ebola is by incinerating all disposable items during the outbreak. The robust design also meant that the incinerators could be used for other medical incineration requirements in the region once the outbreak had been restrained.
Which incinerator?
Addfield supplied seven GM1300 incinerators to the WFP, and a GM250, GM750HB, GM1300HB and GM2000 incinerator was supplied to MSF. The GM series is specifically designed for medical waste, particularly when needed for bulk disposal waste management. Such waste includes surgical dressings, bed linen, mattresses, sharps etc., and other high-volume categories 0-2 medical waste.
Fitting into the plan
In MSF’s case, the two larger units were used for body disposal at the crematorium, and the two smaller ones were used for waste disposal at the treatment centre. The size and efficiency of our machines ensured that targets were reached in order to inhibit the spreading of the disease.
Positive Feedback
The MSF representative contacted Addfield to update our team on the progress made and thank Addfield for the extensive advice that was given, during which they mentioned recommending our machines to other aid agencies since they were so impressed with both the products and service provided.
Advantages of using Addfield incinerators
No insurance companies were willing to insure any engineers due to advice against all but essential travel. However, Addfield ensured that MSF received all the support that could be provided, which included how-to videos on YouTube, Skype sessions, and a dedicated engineer who was on hand to answer all questions.
Addfield researched contracts that were linked to this issue and won the tender to support WFP in its fight against the disease.
In order to make sure that the machines were received on time, Addfield chose to provide delivery through sea shipment and airlifting. This meant that Addfield had to deliver the machines to various parts of the UK in a short period of time due to the urgency of the case.
Addfield were also there throughout the installation process through various channels so that our customers were reassured they had the best support possible for them. This was even during the December holiday season but it was all worthwhile for the gratitude received from the WFP representatives.
