In as much as public hospitals remain closed, any patient with symptoms and signs of Malaria, Typhoid, Dysentery and even Ebola infection would likely proceed to the nearest private hospital, diagnostic centre, laboratory or pharmacy. The situation in Lagos lends credence to the facts that doctors and nurses in private practice are on their own. You therefore need to be fully informed and take charge to protect yourself, your staff and of course, your business.
Protect yourself
Ebola virus is transmitted by close physical contact with infected symptomatic patients. Therefore, strict universal precautions and barrier nursing protocols MUST be in place and STRICTLY FOLLOWED. No exceptions. Reduce traffic of people in your hospital. Treat all patients, relatives and visitors as if they are aliens from outer space. Do not touch unless absolutely necessary and ask the right questions.
Ask questions
Key questions must be asked and clinical acumen sharpened to quickly identify risky patients and likely candidates. Ask about fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, recent travel to Lagos or any of the neighbouring West African countries. Ask specifically about contact with patients with these symptoms or anyone who have travelled out to these areas as well. Prevention is by hygiene! Avoiding contact with infected people (and their secretions and blood), and avoiding contact with objects contaminated by infected people is critical. Obtain and use personal protection equipment (PPE) before close interactions with infected patients and isolate them and their close relatives. Do notify the appropriate authorities responsible for the disease in your local area.
Protect your staff
Educate your staff and provide adequate materials for their protection. Talk about Ebola officially every day to reinforce your plans and safety precautions. Reduce your hospital staff and send non essential staff on leave. All hospitals should downsize right now for safety reasons. Cancel all non emergency and elective operations and ask patients to stay away from your hospital unless in dire emergency. Seek and use applications such as Skype and Face-time for consultation for now. Encourage telephone consults and make sure patients pay for consultations as usual before you talk to them. It is for everyone's good.
Protect your business
Affected hospitals are currently being closed for decontamination and staff quarantined. This will affect and could decimate any business that relies on daily income. There is no provision for compensation and no insurance for hospital and staff. What has the government done for First Consultant Hospital or its dead staff members? So, do not run any risk by admitting a patient with Ebola.
Stop all patients with fever, cough, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea from coming to or being admitted into your hospital. Stop them at the gate and ask them the questions right there and then.
Treat only pregnant women, orthopaedic and trauma cases. Encourage all other cases to go to the government hospital. Find out where the local government and health officials have designated for the treatment of Ebola victims in your local area and direct all suspected cases there. No amount of insurance money or assurance will be enough.
For the public
Please take all sick persons with any of these signs and symptoms of the disease to the nearest public health facility. Protect yourself from sick family members. Inform other family members, neighbours and friends about the signs, symptoms and tell them to stay away. Support the isolation of persons suffering from the disease to avoid the spread of the disease within the community. Please report the death of suspected patients to the nearest health facility. Avoid traditional burial practices such as embalming and washing of the dead body of suspected patients. Finally, curtail unnecessary movements and reduce travels.
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Ebola Virus - What Doctors and Nurses Should Do?
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Ebola Virus - What Doctors and Nurses Should Do?
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