“Ang lahat ng mga dapat na paghandaan ay pinaghahandaan ng ating Kagawaran ng Kalusugan at pinapatatag ‘yung ating depensa diyan sa Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) at sa iba pang mga infectious diseases,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr said in an interview over state-run dzRB.
He said the DOH will implement a multisectoral response plan to fight the virus, should a person in the Philippines become infected.
“[Tatlong steps yan]: Una, interim guidelines for disease surveillance, notification and reporting of suspected Ebola Virus Disease cases; pangawala, clinical management including laboratory testing of specimens from suspected EVD cases; at pangatlo, infection control,” Coloma said.
DOH’s Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) will be the center of operations in fighting Ebola, he added.
“Ang RITM sa Muntinlupa City ay itinakda bilang national referral center for emerging and reemerging infectious diseases. Ito ay magsisilbing sentro sa pagsusuri o testing at gagamitin nito ang pinakabagong paraan na subok na mula sa US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” Coloma said.
Moreover, he said that while at least 18 cases of suspected Ebola patients have been treated by the RITM, none of them have tested positive for the deadly communicable disease.
“Mayroon nang 18 kaso ng suspected EVD na sinuri ang RITM at lahat ng ito ay negatibo ang resulta, kaya po sinasabi natin na Ebola-free ang Pilipinas,” Coloma said.
The WHO said 4,033 people have died from Ebola as of October 8 out of a total of 8,399 registered cases in seven countries. The sharp rise in deaths came as the UN said aid pledges to fight the outbreak have fallen well short of the $1 billion (800 million euros) needed. — Patricia Denise Chiu /LBG, GMA News
