POLYE CHALLENGES GOVT TO PREPARE FOR EBOLA EPIDEMIC PORT MORESBY: Leader of Triumph Heritage Empowerment party and Kandep MP Don Polye MP today (Friday) challenged the government to properly prepare itself to combat the epidemic outbreak of Ebola virus when it reaches our shores. The virus has spread from West Africa to as far as Europe, the United States and Australia. “The deadly Ebola virus is spreading at an alarming rate around the world and has possibly reached our near neighbouring countries. My concern is what has the Prime Minister and his Government done to prepare the country in the event of a suspected case of Ebola arriving here in PNG? “Are our airports facilities screening passengers on arrival to identify those who may be infected with Ebola? Do our hospitals have the facilities, the staff and the capacity to treat and isolate a suspected case? We need to be vigilant to address this threat before it arrives! As the saying goes ‘prevention is better than cure’ and so it is with Ebola – awareness and early detection of the virus equals a better chance of successful treatment,” Mr Polye said. He cautioned the PM and his Health Minister that they should be very concerned with identifying and addressing the threat with preventative measures to try and contain the virus before it attacks the people. “Strategies undertaken by other affected nations should now be used by us including public awareness campaigns, the correct identification techniques, strict quarantine/isolation measures, barrier nursing methods, the correct wearing of personal protective equipment and contact tracing should already be in place. “The public need to be informed about the Ebola virus and what to do if they feel sick after travel. Urgent training for our health workers in centers where there is an international airport is also vital, so they are on alert and prepared enough to identify and treat a case of Ebola if and when it reaches PNG,” he said. He said the Ebola virus has been classified as by the World Health Organisation as a Biosecurity threat level 4, adding that means that it is a potentially fatal illness and needs extremely careful monitoring, and if detected strict isolation and treatment. “It also takes an average of 11 days before symptoms of the virus appear. We must act now and put the necessary measures in place to be fully prepared to deal with Ebola cases before they arrive here in PNG,” said Mr Polye. According to overseas reports, Ebola was able to establish a strong footing in West Africa as it was left unidentified for 3 months, and health services there were incapable of dealing with the problem adequately. Eleven people, he said, have already been identified and tested for the Ebola virus in Australia with the latest potential threat being located in Far North Queensland. “It is only a matter of time before Ebola reaches PNG. At present there is no vaccine available for Ebola so the best we can do is to focus on identification, early detection and containment of the virus. “I call on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to immediately address this issue appropriately and to prepare our health facilities and our people to enable them to identify, contain and combat the virus. It cannot be ignored. If the Ebola virus sneaks into PNG undetected, it will have devastating effects on our people,” Polye said. Approved for Release. Don POMB POLYE, CMG, BE (Civil), MBA, MIEPNG(Reg), MP Member for Kandep and Parliamentary Leader of T.H.E Party
Posted on: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 06:26:40 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015