Washington: A doctor, who contracted the Ebola disease in Sierra Leone, has died at the Nebraska Medical Center in the US, the hospital authorities said Monday.
Martin Salia, a native of Sierra Leone and a US legal permanent resident, has passed away as a result of advanced symptoms of the disease, Xinhua reported citing the statement.
"It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share this news," Phil Smith, medical director of the Biocontainment Unit at the Nebraska Medical Center said.
"Salia was extremely critical when he arrived here, and unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we weren`t able to save him."
Salia was suffering from advanced symptoms of Ebola when he arrived at the hospital Nov 15, which included kidney and respiratory failure, the hospital authorities said.
He was placed on dialysis and he also received a dose of convalescent plasma and ZMapp therapy was initiated on the same day.
"We used every possible treatment available to give doctor Salia every possible opportunity for survival," Smith said.
"In Salia`s case, his disease was already extremely advanced by the time he came here for treatment."
Isatu Salia, the deceased doctor`s wife, said in a statement that she was "very grateful for" the efforts made by the hospital team.
Salia tested positive for the virus Nov 10. He was brought back to the US hospital Nov 15.
Earlier this year, the Nebraska Medical Center, one of the four hospitals in the U. equipped to handle Ebola, has successfully treated two patients who contracted the virus in West Africa.
Eight of the previous nine Ebola patients treated in the US survived. Only one, Liberian national Thomas Eric Duncan, died of the virus.
