The Sunday Mail
The Government has received Ebola protective kits worth millions of dollars from the World Health Organisation (Who) which has declared that Zimbabwe has a low risk of an outbreak of the disease.
The personal protective equipment includes helmets, goggles and garments and will be used by medical response teams in the event of an outbreak.
The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development has also availed funds to buy additional medical equipment and train medical practitioners.
Ministry of Health and Child Care Permanent Secretary Dr Gerald Gwinji said they were on high alert to fight the highly-contagious disease.
Dr Gwinji said authorities have ordered health institutions to set up isolation centres where suspected cases would be referred.
“We have personal protective equipment for initial response and these are strategically distributed in the provinces and cities,” he said.
“Although we are still classified as a low risk area, travelling across borders brings the risk to life, hence we continue to up our preparedness.”
Ebola is a deadly disease which has killed over 1 300 people in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia and Nigeria since March.
So far, no Ebola case has been detected in Zimbabwe.
The virus may be contracted through body fluids with symptoms like high fever, sore throat, muscle pains, headaches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. About 90 percent of people who contract Ebola ultimately die.
Who’s risk assessment states that “the risk of spread to travellers to additional countries in the region is high (that is countries bordering on or near Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone); in the sub-region is moderate and overseas is low”.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care has developed surveillance and tracing forms used at ports of entry including airports. Screening stations have been set up at Harare International and Victoria Falls airports.
“Anyone from the affected region even if they come in asymptomatic is monitored for 21 days. If they develop symptoms we then isolate them at the nearest suitable facility and investigate further,” said Dr Gwinji.
“I’m in Beitbridge to assess and bring the port and hospital to an acceptable readiness level. The same is happening at Plumtree Border Post this week and then Chirundu border post by early next week.”
