Health Bureau (SSM) Director Lei Chin Ion said Wednesday that all the necessary measures have been taken in line with World Health Organisation (WHO) instructions to deal with any possible cases of the Ebola virus.
Macau’s health chief also said that local medical staff were “capable” and facilities were “adequate” to deal with the possible appearance of the potentially disease in Macau.
He made the remarks to the media after a meeting at the Conde de S. Januario Hospital Centre with about 200 medical staff from the public hospital and health centres about the disease which is spreading in West Africa.
Talking to reporters Lei said that as many people from Africa visit Macau one could not exclude the possibility of “one or two” imported cases of Ebola disease.
“[If] there are one or two cases of Ebola [in the city] the bureau can tackle them,” Lei said. He added that the bureau has accumulated enough experience in dealing with highly infectious diseases.
“We also have enough facilities and equipment… and our medical staff are well-trained. We are ready,” Lei said, adding that the bureau has already bought quick test reagents for the disease and the test results could be available in about six hours.
Lei also said that he believed the Ebola disease would not spread locally if a case was found in the city.
“Macau residents have high awareness of personal hygiene …as well as having experience in the prevention of infectious diseases,” Lei said, urging the public to maintain personal hygiene and not visit West Africa countries.
The bureau will organise another Ebola awareness session for the city’s doctors today.
Meanwhile, the bureau said in a statement yesterday its medical staff carried out health checks on 26 visitor arrivals from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. None of them needed to be kept under observation.(macaunews/macaupost)
