Health Sciences Centre demonstrates Ebola plan
Health Sciences Centre staff demonstrate putting on, taking off protective gear
There are no cases of the Ebola virus in Manitoba, but provincial health officials say they're prepared in case the outbreak comes to the province.
The province's plan to contain an Ebola outbreak, if needed, was unveiled on Monday at the Health Sciences Centre, which would be the province's designated treatment site should a Ebola case be confirmed.
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Chief provincial public health officer Dr. Michael Routledge confirmed that there are currently no cases of Ebola in Manitoba at this time.
The hospital will dedicate four staff — three nurses and one doctor — for each suspected Ebola patient, according to the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.
Staff showed reporters how they would isolate and manage a suspected Ebola cases and demonstrated how they would put on and take off the personal protective gear they would have to wear.
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But while provincial health officials say they are prepared for a possible Ebola crisis, some health critics say Canada's overall response in terms of emergency preparedness has been too slow.
Dr. Rob Robson of Health Care System Safety and Accountability says concerns from front-line workers in Canada about not being prepared for Ebola should not come as a surprise.
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"We have had lots of examples previously, not just with Ebola, and yet we seem to always be surprised when they sneak up on us," said Robson, who gave a lecture at the University of Manitoba on Monday morning.
"I think the crisis in West Africa has been present for several months and probably we should have been thinking about these preparations several months ago," he added.