A NURSE who spent more than a month in Liberia and Sierra Leone during the Ebola crisis has been honoured by the Ministry of Defence.

Margaret Boyd received the Ebola Medal for Service in West Africa on Monday as recognition of her work in the two African countries earlier this year.

The 55-year-old, who is the diabetes nurse specialist for East Lothian,, based at Roodlands Hospital in Haddington, described her trip, which started in January this year, as “a culture shock”.

She said: “After a full day travelling, we landed in Monrovia, Liberia. My first thoughts were ‘what have I got myself into?’.

“We were met by a Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) 4x4 jeep and driver, who drove us to our accommodation. We were lucky to have reasonable accommodation as Liberia is an extremely poor country.

“I was amazed at the poverty that surrounded me; these people have nothing, but are happy. The children queued twice a day at the pumps for water and always waved to us as we passed in our jeeps. We were not allowed out of our accommodation unless we were being driven by designated drivers.

“It was not safe to go out, especially for women due to the high incidence of rape and also the risk of catching the Ebola virus.”

When a positive diagnosis was given, the patient was then moved to the ‘confirmed’ tent, where the research was carried out.

Mrs Boyd added: “It was necessary to put on a ‘professional hat’ whilst working as it would have been too easy to become emotionally involved with the patients, especially children, which was difficult when they did not survive.”

The trip came about after the University of Oxford circulated a request for healthcare professionals to come forward and make up a team to conduct a clinical research project, trialling a new drug in people who tested positive for the virus.

Mrs Boyd said: “There were many such clinical trials being undertaken in West Africa as the hunt went on to find a drug to cure or prevent this deadly virus.

“As a diabetes specialist nurse, tropical medicine was relatively new to me but this venture would see me in the role of a research nurse, so I answered the call.

“Over the next few weeks, I went through four weeks of vaccinations, visa applications and preparations until I left for West Africa on January 5.”

As Ebola numbers slowed down in Liberia, Mrs Boyd, who has been based at Roodlands in Haddington for almost five years, flew on to neighbouring Sierra Leone.

She told the Courier the mission had “pushed” her out of her comfort zone each day.

Mrs Boyd, from Penicuik, added: “Unfortunately, our trial was stopped prematurely and our drug will not be tested as a treatment for Ebola again but other trials continue today.

“Although this epidemic is almost over, the race continues to find a prevention or cure for this deadly, highly infectious virus."

“I feel honoured to have been given the opportunity to work in West Africa and have memories which I will never forget.”