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Critical Guidelines for Health Care Workers Who Deploy to West Africa for the Ebola Response

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2016

Viroj Wiwanitkit*
Affiliation:
Hainan Medical University, China Faculty of Medicine, University of Nis, Serbia Joseph Ayobabalola University, Nigeria Dr DY Patil Medical University, India.
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Prof Viroj Wiwanitkit, Wiwanitkit House, Bangkhae, Bangkok, Thailand 10160 (e-mail: wviroj@yahoo.com).
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Abstract

Type
Letters to the Editor
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2016 

The recent report “Academic Institutions’ Critical Guidelines for Health Care Workers Who Deploy to West Africa for the Ebola Response and Future Crises” was very interesting.Reference Cranmer, Aschkenasy and Wildes 1 Cranmer et al mentioned a “lack of sufficient and qualified [health care workers].” In fact, a team of volunteers to work in West Africa assisting those affected by the outbreak is a good thing. However, good preparation for a team of volunteers before an actual mission is necessary. At least, there should be a short training course on the new disease before health care workers are allowed to enter the outbreak area.Reference Lupton 2 Patel et al noted that “existing community health programs can be used as a platform to train volunteer health advisors in times of epidemics for quick dissemination of vital health information in areas lacking adequate health infrastructure and personnel.”Reference Patel, Pharr and Ihesiaba 3 Finally, preparation for management of possible infected volunteer health care workers is required. There must be a good primary management and a referring back system.

References

1. Cranmer, H, Aschkenasy, M, Wildes, R, et al. Academic institutions’ critical guidelines for health care workers who deploy to West Africa for the Ebola response and future crises. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2015;9(5):586-590.Google Scholar
2. Lupton, K. Preparing nurses to work in Ebola treatment centres in Sierra Leone. Br J Nurs. 2015;24(3):168-172. http://dx.doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2015.24.3.168.Google Scholar
3. Patel, U, Pharr, JR, Ihesiaba, C, et al. Ebola outbreak in Nigeria: increasing Ebola knowledge of volunteer health advisors. Glob J Health Sci. 2015;8(1):72-78. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v8n1p72.Google Scholar