Innovation to confront Ebola in Sierra Leone: the community-care-centre model.

www.thelancet.com/lancetgh Vol 3 July 2015 e361 to Ebola treatment units as beds became available. All sites had the capacity to provide oral rehydration solution, empirical antibiotics, empirical treatment for malaria, and Ebola diagnostic testing according to national guidelines. At the time of the assessment, two sites were able to provide intravenous hydration. Essential safety measures were in place at all sites, alt hough some safety challenges were noted such as patients being left unattended overnight at some centres owing to lack of electricity. Some factors differed among community care centres including staffing patterns, supervisory approaches, patient fl ow, and presence of specifi c innovations. Implementing par tners made concerted efforts to engage communities in the planning of these centres, recruiting community members to provide non-clinical services and to act as liaisons between the centres and local communities. Despite the initial intention to staff community care centres entirely with laypeople, partners were able to recruit trained health workers for all centres on the basis of their concern about safety of the lay staff model. Staff from the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, implementing partners, staff at community care centres, and Innovation to confront Ebola in Sierra Leone: the community-carecentre model