CHIEF Public Health Inspector for St Mary Paul Brown believes that Jamaica is not prepared to deal with the Ebola disease and said all precautions should be taken to prevent the deadly virus from getting into the island.

“We are nowhere ready for this,” Brown told the St Mary Parish Council during its monthly sitting last Thursday.

Brown was joined by Medical Officer of Health for the parish, Dr San San Win in putting forward the idea that checks on the travel history of persons entering the nation’s ports be done, as travellers have been found to be lying about where exactly they had been.

Brown, who spoke to the Jamaica Observer following the meeting, pointed to the recent undetected entry of an affected man in the United States.

He said that Jamaica cannot afford to make errors but should instead be learning from the mistakes made in countries affected by the deadly disease. He said he was not in support of isolation units in hospitals for Ebola patients.

“The hospital is the worst place to take an Ebola patient,” Brown said, as according to him this was done in one of the African nations affected and a disaster was created. Instead, he said, isolation units should be separated from hospitals and the general population.

Brown, who said he wants people to start learning about Ebola, took a few minutes out of his monthly report to tell persons attending about the disease. He said that he health department has information to share.

“A lot of people don’t understand the virus, and what to expect of it,” he said.

Dr San San Win said that plans are now being designed to deal with the disease if a case should come to the island. She, however, pointed out that Jamaicans should be vigilant to stop persons who may be carrying the disease, from entering the country.

“One slippage can cause the country a lot of harm,” she said.

The medical officer pointed out that persons were not stating the correct things on their immigration forms and this could be detrimental if steps are not taken.

“We are susceptible,” she said, adding that the health ministry is now sourcing the necessary protective clothing needed, despite the high cost of procuring them.

In the meantime, councillor for the Richmond Division Richard Creary said that the country is not in a position to handle an Ebola epidemic.

“I pray we do not have a single case. My fear is we cannot afford it,” he said.

Councillor for the Oracabessa Division Bruce Farrell suggested that a compulsory screening is done at the country’s ports of entry.

In the meantime, the Sunday Observer understands that workers in the health sector are fearful, as many remain in ignorance as to how to deal with a possible outbreak of the disease.

A health sector worker in the North East Health Authority told the Sunday Observer that health sector workers do not know how to handle a possible outbreak of the deadly disease in the country and so many are fearful.

According to the employee, if confronted with a case of the deadly disease, the majority of workers in the medical centres or hospitals would not have the first idea of what would be required.

“If we have a case, nobody would know what to do. Healthcare workers only know what they see on the Internet. We are feeling very hopeless; we don’t know what to do,” she stated.

The woman said that she is calling for a public campaign on Ebola so that health sector workers and the general public will be educated. She pointed out that the workers on the frontline and who will be the first to come in contact with possible cases, do not know how to handle a potential case.

“People will leave the health sector if there should be a confirmed case,” she said.

The woman said that there are no systems in place presently to prepare staff.

“There is absolutely no plan in place,” said the woman who wished to remain anonymous.

She added: “No meeting has been convened for the staff for us to know what is happening and what is to be done.”

The woman said that some of the practices in some of the health centres now would make it even more risky, not only for health workers but for the general public. She said that the current method of disposing garbage was of major concern and should be addressed whether or not Ebola is found in Jamaica.

She pointed out that garbage in “red bags” which contain waste used in dressing of cuts and other materials used to treat people carrying various diseases are currently being disposed of in public bins to be collected in the public system.

“This should not be happening. This should be collected and taken to an incinerator where it is burnt. It should not be done under any circumstances. A lot of people are being put at risk,” the woman continued.

She said that she has been told that a lack of finance has resulted in the insanitary practice.

Additionally, she pointed out, that with the health centres and hospitals crowded on a daily basis “nobody would know until after the fact”.

She stated that Jamaicans too are travelling to other countries and could bring the disease back to the country unknowingly.

“We are in serious problems and nobody is doing anything,” she added.

The woman who also spoke of the recent chikungunya outbreak, said that some of the health centres are also infested with mosquitoes, cockroaches and rats and were not leading by example, although they are the providers of healthcare.

She said that she wants the ministry to look into a number of issues before it is too late.