Vietnam’s Ministry of Health and Hanoi-based National Hospital of Tropical Diseases jointly carried out an anti-Ebola drill at the infirmary on Friday under observation by Masaya Kato, the World Health Organization’s communicable disease coordinator in Vietnam.
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The one-hour drill, including the reception, examination, isolation, and treatment of a suspected Ebola patient, was aimed at reviewing the capability and preparedness of the hospital in coping with the deadly Ebola virus, which has killed nearly 7,000 people, most of whom resided in West Africa.
According to the drill’s scenario, at 8:30 am on November 7, the management of Noi Bai International Airport informed that a suspected Ebola patient was being taken to the hospital on an ambulance.
Upon receiving the information, the hospital immediately arranged an isolation area to admit the patient, who was later taken to the emergency department, where doctors took a sample from him/her for testing.
That sample was handled by a team who then sent it to a qualified laboratory for testing. Health workers were deployed to sterilize all medical equipment and tools that had been used on the patient.
Disinfection measures were also carried out on the ambulance, the hospital’s corridor where the patient was carried through, the elevator that had been utilized to transport the patient, and all health workers who had contacted the patient.
The drill was wrapped with a consultation held by the steering board for epidemic prevention and control. The board later submitted all the information related to the patient to the Ministry of Health and relevant agencies.
When the drill ended, Masaya Kato commented that it had been conducted professionally based on a specific scenario.
He noted that the Ebola outbreak is getting more and more complex in West Africa.
More than 10,000 people have been infected with the Ebola virus disease and almost 7,000 of them have died, the WHO’s coordinator said, citing the latest WHO statistics.
No Ebola cases have been reported in the Eastern Pacific region so far, but every country there should be well prepared to actively cope with any circumstances, Kato added.
Ebola is a highly dangerous virus that can kill 90 percent of infected people. It is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids and tissues of infected animals or people, according to the WHO.
As a severe acute viral illness, the Ebola virus disease is often characterized by the sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat, according to the WHO.
Below are the photos taken by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters during the drill in the capital city on Friday:
The patient wears protective clothes, masks, and gloves to prevent the possible transmission of the virus. A health worker disinfects the ambulance and stretcher used for carrying the patient.
All health workers contacting the patient were equipped with protective clothes and devices in accordance with WHO standards during the drill.
A health worker is seen taking a sample extracted from the patient to the hospital's laboratory for testing. Doctors discuss the suspected Ebola case at their consultation session.
The WHO’s communicable disease coordinator Masaya Kato (R) commented yesterday that the drill was conducted professionally.
When the drill ended successfully, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Xuyen praised the hospital's efforts in the rehearsal.
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