Ebola Threat: Australia Grappling With Many Shortcomings

Early-stage Ebola product — Jeremy Farrar, a professor of tropical medicine and director of The Wellcome Trust charity, said that Ebola's spread in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia is out of control and global health authorities should rethink the approach to potential treatments. Reuters

As the Ebola threat is becoming pervasive, serious questions are being asked about the level of preparedness by Australia's to fight a domestic Ebola outbreak.

PM's Stand

Prime Minister Tony Abbott's has already dismissed such criticism and even ruled out sending Australian personnel to West Africa to fight Ebola. The PM said it would be "irresponsible" to send personnel to West Africa until the government has iron-clad guarantee that any infected health worker from Australia, in need of treatment would be taken care of by one of Australia's political allies, reports SMH Herald.

Shortage of Isolation Pods

How far that concern is translated into action within the country is under scrutiny. As for tackling a domestic outbreak, many infrastructural shortcomings have to be overcome. The biggest shortcoming is the short age of isolation pads. Some state governments recently purchased a few pods in the last few weeks. This raised questions about Australia's preparedness for a bio-terrorist attack or disease outbreak. Western Australia is the only state with an isolation unit.

As of now, Australia has only five isolation pods for transporting Ebola victims. Many regional hospitals lack the protective clothing to cope with an Ebola case, reported News.Com. Au The isolation pods are valued around $20,000 and contain a stretcher that is surrounded by sealed, clear plastic in negative air pressure with glove holes for health workers to attend the patients.

Another glaring glitch is that the defence forces of Australia do not have a single isolation unit that can be fitted into a plane, if a person has to be airlifted to any major hospital. "Among the reporting hospitals, 30 of them have the gear, but below that I'd say not," said the spokesman for Health Minister, Laurence Springborg. The hospital cleaners also lack training as huge wastes get piled up. This was the case when Ebola patient in the U.S, Thomas Duncan was treated in a Texas hospital.

Current Ebola Plan

Under the rudimentary Government plan for facing an Ebola outbreak, as per the Government website, when a patient with Ebola presents itself in Australia, he must be immediately placed in a single pressurised room with own air conditioning and toilet facilities. Those treating the infected must have full protective gear. Apparently, the health authorities have to be alerted. The blood test must be in accordance with standards prescribed for high risk specimens.

The staff treating the patient must wear a fluid repellent surgical mask, fluid resistant gown, gloves, eye protection and other protection for sensitive procedures. Once the infection is confirmed, the patient must be transferred to one of the 14 hospitals designated to deal with Ebola.

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