Gov. Bentley And Health Officials Ebola Preparedness Plan
With Thomas Duncan’s death, Governor Robert Bentley and Alabama health care officials say they’re ready to respond to potential cases of Ebola in the state.
Governor Bentley says once the Ebola case was confirmed in Dallas late last month, he met with state health officials to come up with a plan. That plan will ensure hospitals like this one and doctors offices are doing their part should the the virus arrive in Alabama.
While there are no confirmed cases of Ebola in Alabama, Governor Bentley says there is a plan that would allow the state to act quickly and effectively. First — by providing a checklist to all hospitals with steps to identify a person with Ebola.
“The checklist provides practical and specific suggestions to ensure hospital staffs are able to detect Ebola cases, protect employees, and respond appropriately to patients,” Said Gov. Bentley.
It’s part of the Ebola Prevention tool kit given to all hospitals in the state. Hospitals are even putting signs in front of their doors telling people to stay outside if they have flu-like symptoms and have traveled to West Africa, that way medics and make sure others don’t get infected.
“The most important thing is for us to catch them at the front door,” Said Patty Miller, infection prevention coordinator at Baptist Medical Center South.
Miller says hospitals will have equipment available and ready to take care of the patient. Every hospital in the state now has an “isolation room” to do that.
State health officer, Dr. Don Williamson says Alabama has nothing to worry about — if the virus were to spread, he says health care officials have the resources needed to fight the virus.
“It can be controlled with basic privention and control proceedures, we’re talking about gowns, water impermiable gown, we’re talking about gloves, we’re talking about masks, we’re talking about eye goggles and face shields,” Said Williamson.
So what about other physicians offices? The Governor says they have not received the tool kits but they are required to ask patients with flu-like symptoms where they’ve traveled and if they say West Africa, that’s when physicians will take the necessary steps for prevention…
ADPH is required to alert the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within four hours of an Ebola diagnosis.
