The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH surveillance is being beefed up at the port and airport in Grand Bahama as international efforts to contain and prevent the spread of Ebola continues in west Africa.

Health officials in Grand Bahama have started Ebola training sessions for all healthcare workers at the Rand Memorial Hospital as well as EMS personnel.

Medical Chief of Staff Dr Paul Ward said because Ebola is related to travel, the Ministry of Health is enhancing its surveillance at the major ports of entry on Grand Bahama.

“We are (going to be) extending training not just in the Ministry of Health, but also in the PHA (Public Hospitals Authority), and other governmental agencies, such as the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Defence Force, Customs and Immigration,” he said.

Dr Ward said cruise ships and tankers call into Grand Bahama from all over the world, including West Africa. “We have to ensure there is safety of crew members, the port and our people when these ships arrive,” he said.

Dr Ward said that a health surveillance team would be asking crew members to make a declaration of their health. “There will be a questionnaire they will have to answer and this is going to be assessed by a port health team before we give recommendation to Customs and Immigration to clear the vessel – that is what we are trying to do,” he said.

Grand Bahama has the largest transshipment port in the region and vessels from all over the world call there to offload containers.

Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever is a severe, often fatal disease characterised by high fever, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or haemorrhaging.

Dr Todd Soard, of Emergency Educational Institute International, conducted training sessions in Grand Bahama. He will also travel to New Providence and Abaco this week to conduct similar sessions.

Dr Ward believes that the training sessions are very important. “We hope we don’t get a case of Ebola, but we want to be ready and prepared like other countries in dealing with Ebola, which is now at the forefront as a public health issue,” he explained.

Dr Ward also noted that at the first national taskforce meeting request has been made of the Airport Authority in Nassau to have a specific room for health screening and possible quarantine, if necessary.

“Similar requests are going to be made at other international airports in Grand Bahama, Abaco, Exuma, and San Salvador, where Air France makes direct stops.

“We are looking at all our ports of entry in the country with regard to having some form of assessment and risk assessment of international travellers,” he said.

Dr Soard, who has a PhD in Public Health and Epidemiology, said EMS personnel and healthcare workers were educated about infectious control and prevention of Ebola; how to detect patients that have been exposed; how they present themselves; and containment. He said they were also shown body isolation suits for healthcare worker and patients.

“They are mostly looking for those with fever, excessive amounts of vomiting, and diarrhoea, but again it is about education so that even the general public does not think that because someone is throwing up that they have Ebola - it could be the flu, but again only by a full evaluation by the hospital can that be determined,” he said.

Emergency Education Institute International was founded by Dr Soard 22 years ago and teaches a variety of courses for EMT, Paramedics and in Nursing.