The Doctors Without Borders treatment facility opened its doors to Ebola patients in Paynesville near Monrovia on Sunday. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said that this development will help ease the demand for space.

The treatment facility can initially admit 120 patients, but will be able to care for up to 400 patients when it becomes fully functional with adequate manpower. In its rainy opening on Sunday, the new facility already admitted nine patients.

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It opened a day after the raid at the West Point treatment unit in Monrovia. Reports said that the protesters were angry that doctors took on non-residents. Looters apparently took away patients and medical supplies.

The community leaders apologized for the incident, hoping that operations at West Point will resume by Monday. Medical personnel also expressed optimism in recovering the patients from the protesters.

Hopefulness comes with the opening of the biggest treatment unit in the country. It is located on the grounds of the mission hospital Eternal Love Winning Africa.

However, project coordinator for Doctors Without Borders Lindis Hurum anticipates a less hopeful scenario. She thinks that the facility will soon be full of patients and the condition brought about by the outbreak "will continue to get worse."

In addition, she cites the situation in another treatment unit north of Liberia. With only nine health workers, the facility was overwhelmed with 140 patients on Saturday.

The influx of patients, according to doctors, is partly a result of heightened awareness.

Despite the need for medical facilities, many hospitals closed for fear of contracting Ebola, minister of health and social welfare Dr. Walter T. Gwenigale said.

With limited treatment facilities, the pressure is on the medical personnel, especially when there is a shortage of protective gears.

The Ebola outbreak started in March and Liberia is one of the worst hit countries in West Africa. To date, 450 died of the virus in the country.

Tagsdoctors without borders, ebola treatment center