Life Wilgeheuwel Hospital ready for any Ebola situation

Panic has surrounded the Ebola virus in Western Africa and the fear of it spreading is a great concern to people all around the world. All of the LifeHhospitals in Johannesburg have announced that they are ready for any patient that might have Ebola.

Infection prevention specialist at Life Wilgeheuwel Mishaan Daniel explained that the hospital has a designated area for the infected patients. “We have a no-contact area where the patient/patients will be kept.” She added that all of the staff members who will be working with the infected patients will be wearing personal protective equipment.

According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, the virus can only be contracted if you come into contact with the disease by touching the body of a person who has died of Ebola or by touching vomit, urine, saliva, stool (faeces) or blood of an infected person.

The institute also explained the myths that go with Ebola – the first is that you can’t contract the disease through air, food or water and you can’t get the disease from a healthy person that hase travelled to West Africa.

Daniel explained that the hospitals will all work together if any of the Life Hospitals were to receive more than one patient that has been infected with the disease.

Life Health Care group marketing and communication manager Glynis Krebser concluded and said, “We have a protocol that we have received from the Department of Health in the event of any Ebola case being reported to us, so we will be able to control the disease and stop it from spreading further while treating the infection patient/s.”

Details: Life Wilgeheuwel Hospital 011 796 6500.