MORE than 2,000 health workers have so far received training in Ebola management since the Ministry of Health began its preparations for the possibility of the introduction of Ebola into the island, the ministry has said.

Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr Marion Bullock DuCasse said that the training involved doctors, nurses, laboratory personnel, porters and drivers.

“Two thousand, two hundred and fifteen health workers have so far received training in Ebola management. We have been working to ensure that our workers are prepared and knowledgeable about what is required of them if they ever have to be called upon to manage a case of Ebola. We have also had separate training for our partners outside of the ministry of health as we will have to maintain our collaborative approach to the management of the health sector if we are faced with Ebola,” Dr DuCasse said.

Seventy-one emergency medical technicians of the Ministry of Health/Jamaica Fire Brigade Emergency Medical Service were also trained as members of the Patient Transfer Team, focusing on how to manage Ebola patients, donning and doffing of personal protective equipment and preparation of vehicles to transport Ebola patients.

This is in addition to the training that was provided through collaboration with Cuba. One hundred and fifty-nine health workers were trained over a three-week period by two Cuban master specialists in epidemiology and microbiology from the Pedro Khouri Institute of Tropical Medicine in Havana.

The four training sessions, which were held over a two-week period December 1-13, 2014, included an overview and history of Ebola as well as the global situation; epidemiology of Ebola; the virus, diagnosis and transmission; clinical management; infection prevention and control; isolation measures and guidelines; sample extraction, preparation and transport; management of the dead; biological risks, risks in the laboratory and associated with patient care; risk assessment; hand-washing techniques; and personal protective equipment, standards, specifications, different types and practice in the use.

Dr DuCasse said that an additional 100 doctors and nurses in the South East and Western Regional Health authorities, who have volunteered to work in the Ebola treatment centres and hospital isolation rooms to be utilised as holding areas, have received specialised training. The Ministry of Health Specialist Training Team will also conduct similar training soon in the North East and Southern Regional Health authorities.

Sensitisation sessions have also been held for over 1,120 workers from other sectors, including tourism, national security and agriculture.