Phuket Gov stresses safety first in Ebola precautions

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Phuket Gov stresses safety first in Ebola precautions
Nattha Thepbamrung


Gov Nisit (second from right) with a technician clothed in the full-body Personal Protective Equipment.

PHUKET: -- Governor Nisit Jansomwong has announced that the island is ready should Ebola virus be detected, and has stressed that stringent precautions must be taken to ensure no one other than the victim becomes infected.

“All sections are ready to screen people traveling from countries that [are experiencing] Ebola virus outbreaks.

“Today, we just want to encourage greater integration among [the departments] and create greater mutual understanding to make sure that the process is followed strictly,” the governor told The Phuket News.

He explained how the watch and detection system works: Airport staff have lists of names of people traveling from affected countries and pass these to the local office of the International Communicable Disease Control Department (ICDCD), which is also at the airport.” Arrivals from high risk zones are taken to the ICDCD office he said. There, they are given thorough check-ups.

“The name lists are also distributed to airport Immigration and to the Provincial Public Health Office which has a special section that follows up with the special arrivals over a period of 21 days,” the Governor said.

They are backed up by the expertise of the local office of the Department of Medical Science. Hospitals, too, receive copies of the lists of names.

Any people in whom Ebola is suspected promptly enter the screening and separation process – which already exists to handle cases of malaria and dengue fever.

“There are negative pressure rooms around the island, one at the Phuket International Hospital, two at the Bangkok Hospital and seven at Vachira Phuket Hospital,” he said.

Negative pressure rooms are rooms in which air pressure is kept lower than outside so that airborne bacteria and viruses cannot escape.

The Kusoltham Rescue Foundation has also decided to buy full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – the kind of space suits seen in movies such as the Dustin Hoffman thriller Outbreak, the Governor said. “We have enough equipment in each [government department] for anyone who may come into contact with infected people.”

In the meeting the governor also express his concern about the safety of operational officials and stressed that proper PPE must be provided, especially in cases in which the cause of death was unknown.

“The recent incident of the British man, Martin Clark, found dead in his Patong condominium was a lesson for us all. We were very lucky that he didn’t have the Ebola virus because the people at the scene did not protect themselves.

“Officials have to be careful in such cases. Police, rescue volunteers and even news reporters may only be allowed into the site after checks have been made with the Public Health Office.

“If the dead person is on a list of people from Ebola-affected countries, anyone going into the locus must wear PPE.

“We are just preparing for any possible situation to ensure the effectiveness of each section and I am relieved to see that the Public Health Office and all others involved are well prepared.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-gov-stresses-safety-first-in-ebola-precautions-49720.php


-- Phuket News 2014-11-18

[LivinginKata]

Somewhat late given how long ebola has been raging in west Africa.

[Costas2008]

Very good for all the precaution measures they are taking.

But theory to practice is a big difference.

Knowing how Thai people think, first they will diagnose Ebola on a patient and then they will wear the suits.

Trust me on that...............

[chooka]

Why not just give everyone that vaccine you have developed?

[bangon04]

these suits would be very useful on the skytrain during rush hours...