Rep. Ellison calls on West African community to help fight Ebola

Minnesota U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison told members of the Twin Cities' West African community Saturday that their help is needed in fighting Ebola.

Ellison joined state health officials and community leaders at a forum on the disease in Brooklyn Center.

• Full Ebola coverage from MPR News
• Q&A: Testing for and treating Ebola in Minnesota

Ellison told a crowd of about 75 people that the U.S. government is looking for West African immigrants with medical training to help fight the disease in their home countries.

"We need people to go to West Africa and we need people with current medical credentials," Ellison said. "You do not have to be a U.S. citizen to volunteer or attend training. The training covers all aspects of your deployment to Africa and includes training in a simulated Ebola medical facility."

Ellison said those without medical training to consider helping in other ways.

"Maybe the best thing to do is for you to give money and raise money here," Ellison said. "If you're not a trained medical professional its possible you might just be in the way of other medical professionals."

Some members of the crowd said they were interested in helping, but worried leaving Minnesota would put their jobs, or their efforts to become U.S. citizens, at risk.