The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has decided to prepare a series of standard operating procedures (SOP) and guidelines, which will include early detection of Ebola infection in patients, taking them to hospital, healthcare management and infection control.
Professor Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed, director of the Communicable Disease Control at the health directorate, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that Ebola is a highly infectious disease and formulation of 10-15 separate guidelines is necessary to prevent it.
“To ensure protection of people including medical teams who will remain engaged in healthcare management activities, the health directorate will provide them with PPE (Personal Protection Equipment). This kit has already been supplied to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and Kurmitola General Hospital,” he said.
A PPE set contains specialised N 95 mask, gloves, cap, apron, shoe cover and eye cover.
Complying with a direction of the Health Ministry, the health directorate has asked all seven divisional health directors to form medical teams on an urgent basis for 20 land ports, three airports and two seaports.
Professor Dr ABM Abdul Hannan, director (hospital and clinic), told the Dhaka Tribune he had issued letters yesterday to the divisional directors asking them to form medical teams for screening suspected Ebola patients, and all of them were asked to submit the list with names and phone numbers shortly.
“A medical team will include medical officer, nurse and sanitation officer. Hopefully, we will get the lists by today,” he said.
The Health Ministry issued a 90-day Ebola alert across the country on Sunday following an inter-ministerial meeting.
Dr Be-Nazir said airlines and immigration officials were asked to closely monitor passengers arriving from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Liberia.
“All the passengers would be brought under official record. If necessary, medical teams would interview them and would also perform a check-up,” he added.
