Edo State: NMA sets Ebola screening tent in UBTH

The Nigeria Medical Association on Friday said that it has set-up a screening tent at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Ugbowo, as parts of efforts to prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola virus.

Ebola

The Edo State Chairman of the association, Professor Afekhide Omoti, who disclosed this in a telephone interview with our correspondent, explained that the tent, which was set up by the association’s emergency response committee on Monday, would be the first port of call for every patient entering the teaching hospital.

Professor Omoti said that the tent had facilities capable of also screening patients for any infectious disease, before gaining entrance into the main hospital.

According to him, individuals going into the hospital would walk through the tent, where there their feet would be sterilised and their temperature assessed through an infrared thermometer.

He stated that any person suspected of having an infectious disease, sequel to the initial screening at the tent, would undergo another screening to ascertain the status of the individual.

He added that the tent was purchased and equipped by the association and would be handed over to the staff of the hospital for further use, while a similar measure would be applied at the Central Hospital in the state capital on Monday.

“Every patient entering the hospital goes straight there. There are four facilities there for screening everybody, not only for Ebola, but for any infectious disease.

“If we find that you are ok, then you will enter the hospital and continue. If we find that there is something dangerous that could infect other people, then we will hold you back and, then, test you properly and decide that it is not a dangerous thing like Ebola before we can send you to the appropriate place.”

“We donated one but we are assisting the hospital to get about three more. But our primary job is to donate one and equip. So, it is the same thing we will do for the Central Hospital,” he said.

Meanwhile, the management of the University of Benin has said that it is not leaving anything to chance to forestall an outbreak in its campuses.

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Edo State: NMA sets Ebola screening tent in UBTH