DOH denies Cebu has Ebola patient

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Health-Central Visayas has ruled out reports that a patient from a private hospital in Cebu has displayed symptoms of the Ebola virus.

“Based on our reports, di to siya ma-qualify nga naay symptoms sa Ebola. Even the travel history of the patient, di sad,” DOH-7 regional epidemiologist Renan Cimafranca said.

“Malaria ang sakit sa patient, not Ebola. Until now, we are still Ebola-free,” Cimafranca added..

 Since August, when the Ebola virus outbreak was first noted in the countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia in Africa, the Bureau of Quarantine-7 has been on a heightened alert on all international flights.

 BQ-7 acting chief Terence Bermejo earlier said that they have a directive from their head office to monitor all passengers and crew of all international flights.

Ebola is a severe, infectious, often fatal disease in humans and primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees) caused by an infection from the Ebola virus.

DOH’s advisories stated said that Ebola can be transmitted through close contact with blood secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals, body fluids and stools of an infected person, through contaminated needles and soiled linen used by infected patients, or direct contact with the body a deceased person.

Signs and symptoms of the infection include fever, headache, intense weakness, joint and muscle pains, and sore throat.

DOH has likewise declared that the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, the country’s National Reference Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, is now more prepared to respond to the threat of Ebola.

To bolster its preparations, RITM, in coordination with the DOH and the World Health Organization conducted a comprehensive three-day training course for healthcare professionals in the country.

The training will be done to ensure the readiness of health care workers in government and private hospitals for the potential entry of the virus in the country.

There will be three batches of training schedules. First was already done on October 28 to 30 this year for DOH referral hospitals including Philippine General Hospital, AFP Medical Center and PNP General Hospital while the second batch would start today until November 6, for private hospitals in major Phi-lippine cities. The last batch of training would be on November 11 to 13 for local government units. (FREEMAN)