A NEW hospital specifically to treat Ebola patients in West Africa is due to open today, much to the relief of a Bradford professor working there.

Professor John Wright has been frustrated by delays to the opening of the Moyamba centre, due to be on Monday, because of frustrating ongoing discussions about personal protection equipment (PPE).

READ BRADFORD PROFESSOR JOHN WRIGHT'S EBOLA EMERGENCY BLOG

"We now have four types of PPE from DfID. We have hundreds of boxes of the stuff sitting around in our storage tents. However none of them are quite good enough for our quality assurance lead," he said.

Writing on his blog yesterday, he said the search was hindered by the global shortage of biohazard suits.

He added: "Finally we find a model that passes muster. If our final drills go well today then we are all set to welcome our first guests tomorrow."

The hospital had an official opening with more than 100 VIP guests yesterday.

Prof Wright, who works at Bradford Royal Infirmary, travelled to Sierra Leone last month and this week had his most daunting encounter yet with the disease.

He visited the "dreaded" Moyamba Ebola holding centre.

"In the absence of a treatment centre patients in the district have been quarantined here since the start of the epidemic," he said.

"Everyone warns me not to go and I am nervous.

"When I ask the driver to take me he chuckles and continues driving straight past the junction, assuming that I am kidding. The District Medical Officer offers to meet me outside the unit, but he makes it clear he will not step foot inside."

Prof Wright described basic conditions, rusty beds and staff with no boots or scrubs, though none have become infected.

"Alfred is the nurse in charge and I enquire about his story. He tells me he was the first person to treat a patient with Ebola at Moyamba Hospital back in April, and he has dedicated himself to caring for these patients ever since," he said.

"I am stunned and humbled. For five months this decrepit, DIY isolation centre has been on the deadly front line of the battle against Ebola.

"Everyday staff have risked their lives working in inadequate facilities in high risk situations. Then we arrive with great fanfare, six months too late, in our fleet of shiny new 4x4s and helicopters, building £2 million worth of Ebola hospital and base camp, staffing it with 200 staff, and prevaricating about the wrong sort of biohazard suits."

Meanwhile, an 11th doctor has died from Ebola in Sierra Leone.

Dr Brima Kargbo, the country's chief medical officer, confirmed yesterday that Dr Victor Willoughby died earlier in the day. He had tested positive on Saturday.

Visit telegraphandargus.co.uk/contributors to read Prof Wright's blog.

BLOG POSTS FROM PROFESSOR JOHN WRIGHT