What? When I looked at a map by WHO:
I noticed that the Philippines is having trouble with Monkeys with Ebola? So, because of this this article might be quite important in the long run if the monkeys jump the Ebola to humans like they did in Africa (or the Fruit Bats) which also range in the Philippines on this above word button map.
Philippines challenged by Ebola virus
Government challenged by small budget, limited facilities
- By Barbara Mae Dacanay, Correspondent
- Published: 14:38 August 14, 2014
Manila: The Philippines is challenged by the outbreak of the dreaded
Ebola virus due to the health department’s small budget and the few
number of isolation rooms prepared nationwide in case it enters the
Philippines, sources told Gulf news, adding that the Philippines is
vulnerable because of the impact of free international travel, and the
presence of thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the three
West Africa countries where the outbreak has already claimed 1,000
lives.
“The number of isolation rooms that were been prepared to handle cases
of Ebola virus in the Philippines might not be adequate (in case the
virus enter the Philippines),” said Health Undersecretary Janette Garin.
“Being ready for the Ebola virus is such a strong word — although we
have experts who can deal with the Ebola problem, including facilities
in different parts of the country where we can bring patients afflicted
by Ebola virus,” admitted Health Department’s program manager, Dr.
Lyndon Lee Suy.
“The health department has allocated P50 million (Dh4.16 million) for
the infectious disease programme,” said Suy, adding, “The allocation is
small, but members of congress have agreed to increase the budget ahead
of the possible entry of the Ebola virus in the Philippines.”
“The threat of the Ebola virus entering the Philippines is real because
travel bans have not been issued, “ warned Ludovico Jurao, head of the
Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, who
likewise admitted that regional medical centres nationwide have prepared
isolation rooms for Ebola cases.
“We are monitoring our preparedness. We have to be alarmist in
responding to this health problem because we have OFWs in West Africa
where the virus has claimed lives,” explained Congressman Walden Bello,
chair of the Congressional Committee on overseas Affairs.
On a more positive note, Health Secretary Enrique Ona said, “The
Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and other government hospitals
nationwide are equipped to undertake laboratory tests for possible Ebola
cases.”
Health, itinerary checklist
“The Philippine health department has required all local and foreign
travellers entering the country to fill up a health and itinerary
checklist to guide us,” said Ona, adding that all air and seaports have
been equipped with thermal scanners to detect the temperature of
arriving passengers.
As a result, there was a close monitoring of 15 OFWs who arrived from
June 25 to July 15 from Sierra Leone with fever, a symptom linked to
Ebola virus infection. “Luckily, 13 of them were cleared of the Ebola
virus last August 8,” said Ona.
Two other OFWs might soon be cleared of the Ebola virus, said Ona, adding this will be known on August 28.
“Health workers have extended their monitoring period to one month,
beyond the 21 days incubation period for the Ebola virus to manifest
symptoms on patients, such as bleeding, diarrhoea, high fever, muscle
pain, organ failure, vomiting, and weakness,” Ona explained, adding,
“The relatives and nurses who monitored the OFWs were also placed under
strict medical observation.”
Earlier, Manila’s labour department called on OFWs in West Africa to
return to the Philippines so that they would not be affected by the
outbreak of the Ebola virus.
The labour department likewise suspended the deployment of OFWs to
these countries, but allowed OFWs with existing employment contracts to
return there.
“As a precautionary measure, the Philippine Overseas Employment
Administration (POEA) was instructed to undertake weekly monitoring of
OFWs in the Ebola-hit West African countries,” Labour Secretary
Rosalinda Baldoz said.
“Filipino seamen were also instructed not to leave when their ships
dock in West African countries hit by the Ebola virus,” Baldoz added.
Manila’s department of foreign affairs also told OFWs in Guinea,
Liberia, and Sierra Leone, to “take extra precaution by restricting
non-essential movements and avoiding public places”.
International agencies say there are 5,000 OFWs in the Ebola-hit West African countries.
In comparison, the POEA has a shorter list of 600 OFWs, including 72 OFWs in Guinea; 202 in Liberia; and 398 in Sierra Leone.
The foreign affairs department has also a different list: 880 OFWs in
Guinea; 632, including 148 members of the UN Peace keeping Force in
Liberia; and 1,979 in Sierra Leone.
The virus is transmitted through bodily fluids, said the World Health
Organisation. There have been 1,711 cases of Ebola and 932 deaths in
four West African countries of Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra
Leone, said the WHO which called on all countries to implement emergency
measures to prevent the spread of the dreaded virus.
end quote from:
http://gulfnews.com/news/world/philippines/philippines-challenged-by-ebola-virus-1.1372032
end quote from:
http://gulfnews.com/news/world/philippines/philippines-challenged-by-ebola-virus-1.1372032
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