Sue Ellen
Kovack was nervous when set off to join the fight against Ebola in
Sierra Leone - a country swept by the deadly virus - last month.
Now there are fears the 57-year-old, from Cairns, is suffering from the illness she was helping to treat.
Ms Kovack is currently under observation for Ebola and has been quarantined at Cairns Hospital
Health authorities ordered her to hospital after she reported feeling a fever at 1pm AEST on Thursday.
She just returned to Australia on Tuesday after a month volunteering for the Red Cross in the West African nation.
But Ms Kovack's humanitarian efforts have been slammed by outspoken Federal MP Bob Katter.
The
member for Kennedy - whose electorate takes in the southern area of
Cairns and the town's airport - said her volunteering pursuits had put
the nation at risk.
Mr Katter said it was 'unbelievable and incomprehensive' how a person could get into Australia from an Ebola-infected country.
'There cannot be any compromise with this,' Mr Katter said.
'If
you want to go to one of these countries, however laudable your
motivation, I am sorry but when you return to Australia, you must be
quarantined for three weeks - not home quarantined.'
Red Cross Australia has confirmed one of their aid workers is under observation for the deadly virus.
'Our
heartfelt thoughts are with the Red Cross aid worker and her family. We
will do everything we can to support her at this difficult time,' the
organisation's head of international program Peter Walton said in a
statement to the Red Cross Australia Twitter page.
No comments:
Post a Comment