PM to set up Ebola prevention/response team
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Thursday night detailed this country’s response to the Ebola threat. During a speech at a Divali function at the Diplomatic Centre in Port of Spain, Persad-Bissessar said an Ebola Prevention and Response Team was to be set up, involving major stakeholders.
The following is Persad-Bissessar’s statement related to the Ebola issue –
Today (Thursday) Cabinet Agreed to the implementation of the following measures for the prevention of the importation of the Ebola Virus disease in Trinidad and Tobago:
a) All visitors from Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo be prohibited entry in Trinidad and Tobago with immediate effect;
b) Persons in the last six (6) weeks visited any countries referred to at (a) above be prohibited entry into Trinidad and Tobago;
c) Citizens of Trinidad and Tobago who in the last six (6) weeks visited any of the countries referred to at (a) above be placed in quarantine for a minimum period of twenty-one (21) day;
d) All airlines be notified of the decisions at (a) to (c) above;
e) To the establishment of an Ebola Prevention and Response Team, the Team to comprise:
Brigadier General Anthony Phillips Spencer
Dr. Colin Furlonge
Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health
The Chief Nursing Officer, Ministry of Health
A Representative(s) each of:
The Maritime Services Division
Ministry of Transport
The Civil Aviation Authority
The Airport Authority
The National Operations Centre
The Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago
Point Lisas Industrial Development Corporation
All established Unions
The private sector.
f) That the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Investment and Communications conduct Education Outreach Programmes in respect of Ebola;
g) That the Ministry of Health, the ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Security take all necessary action to give immediate effect to the measures referred to above, in consultation with the Attorney General;
h) All Government official travel to the countries referred to at (a) above be suspended at this time;
Cabinet is informed of the ongoing Actions taken by the Ministry of Health (MoH) in the above context as follows:
I. The MoH has been proactive in collaborating with the Regional Health Authorities, stakeholders at the airports and seaports, the Ministry of National Security and other agencies to minimize the risk of disease importation as well as to appropriately manage any suspected cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
II. Port Health
a) Formation of Port Health Committee:
I. Sensitization of front-line personnel at Trinidad and Tobago’s major points of EVD
II. Strengthening public health emergency preparedness at ports of entry-
Created standard operating procedures (SOP), testing via table top and drill exercises
Strengthening surveillance methods
III. Regional Health Authorities
a) Sensitisation of Health Care Workers (HCW) and workshops on infection control and prevention measures
b) Standard operating procedures for Primary and Secondary Care facilities for EVD preparedness which includes referral matrices to CMO and interim treatment centre;
c) Surveillance Strengthened
d) Designated interim treatment centre at Caura Hospital identified which is currently being refurbished and upgraded to provide isolation and management of suspected persons
e) Quarantine areas identified at Caura Hospital (24 beds) and Hyperbaric Unit, EWMSC (12 beds)
f) Buildings identified at Caura facility to be used as housing for HCW who will be managing EVD cases at Caura Hospital
g) Identification of all grades of staff to treat EVD cases at Caura facility (Emroy University Hospital reported a staff of 25 nurses and 5 doctors to treat 1 EVD case)
h) Remuneration packages for HCW managing EVD cases are being determined.
IV. Health Promotion
a) Raising awareness and knowledge of travellers and general public
I. Educational Literature
II. MoH representatives discussing key points about EVD on radio and television programmes
CABINET IS ADVISED THAT WHILE THE RISK OF IMPORTATION OF EVD INTO TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO BY AIR AND SEA IS LOW, WHO ADVISES THAT TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO BE PREPARED TO DETECT, CONTAIN AND MANAGE SUSPECTED CASES.
Cabinet is advised that the following updated statistics regarding the EVD have been provided by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as at October 8, 2014;
• Areas with intense and widespread transmission, namely Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone – 8376 (confirmed and suspected) with 4024 deaths
• Areas with localised transmission:
Nigeria – 20 confirmed cases and 8 deaths
Spain : 1 confirmed case: a Health Care Worker (HCW)
USA: 3 confirmed cases (2 HCW), 1 death (updated as of 15 October, 2014)
• Area with an imported case and no localised transmission
Senegal: 1 confirmed case
• Area with a separate and distinct outbreak:
The Democratic Republic of Congo: 71 cases and 43 deaths
Cabinet noted that all major hospitals, District Health Facilities and certain Health Centres have been identified as designated triage areas for suspected person with EVD.