Although Ebola risk 'very low,' P.E.I. health officials preparing
Nurses' union questions health-care worker safety if faced with deadly virus
Although the risk Ebola happening on P.E.I. is still extremely low, health officials say they can't be too careful and are busily preparing for the possibility.
"We are working toward being prepared, and we are prepared to a certain extent," says Dr. Rosemary Henderson, Queen Elizabeth Hospital medical director.
- Ebola outbreak: How prepared are Canadian hospitals?
- Ebola stories, photos, video coverage
- Ebola symptoms: What are they?
"We only have so many resources we can devote to this topic, again realizing the risk is actually very low."
For the past few weeks, Island emergency rooms have been screening patients, asking questions about where they've travelled recently and if they're experiencing any Ebola-like symptoms.
Henderson says if staff determine there's a risk of a patient carrying Ebola, they will be quarantined immediately, then transported to the IWK Health Centre or the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax.
"You can take the word fear out of it if everyone has the education around how to deal with it. If the nurses are confident and competent in how to deal with the situation, then that's of the utmost importance," said Mona O'Shea, union president.
Island health officials say nurses are being trained this week, learning how to properly wear protective gear and to handle a patient showing Ebola symptoms. Training for other health staff is still to come.
"They are really going to be working on more training in the next days and weeks to make sure that their front-line health care staff is comfortable," says Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison.
For mobile device users: Are you worried about Ebola spreading to P.E.I.?