With concern over Ebola rising, British Columbia’s health minister has announced that five hospitals, one of which is in Vancouver, will be set up to diagnose and care for any patients suspected of having the disease.
The five hospitals chosen include Royal Jubilee, Kelowna General University Hospital, and Surrey Memorial. The B.C. Children’s Hospital, located in Vancouver, has been designated as the center of treatment of any paediatric cases.
The staff will receive special training in the protocols involved in assessing possible cases and treating any confirmed. Frontline staff and ER staff in all provincial hospitals will also receive training in these procedures.
The proper protective equipment is currently under review, but it is expected that it will include long gowns, level 4 hoods, full-body suits, gloves, face shields, respirator masks, and surgical masks, depending upon the situation. Personnel will be trained in the use of the “buddy system” while they don and remove protective gear, which can help to prevent self-transmission.
There will be weekly phone sessions between the stakeholders involved to review the week’s events, as well as recommendations for the upcoming week.
For this system to work, it’s vital that the staff and the public be made aware of the policies and procedures. Poster printing companies can create promotional materials explaining them that can be put up in hospitals and walk-in clinics. This will ensure that everyone knows how best to protect themselves and others form the spread of the disease, should it reach BC.
