The Chief Medical Director, Federal Medical Center,(FMC) Owo, Dr. Olufemi Omotoso, has warned health workers in the country against improper handling of personal protective equipment while treating Ebola virus patients.
Omotoso said everybody, including doctors had to be trained on how to use the equipment because there were procedures for using them.
The Director spoke while inspecting some wards in the hospital after doctors resumed work following the suspension of their two-month-old strike.
He said: “We’ve seen somebody who wore protective equipment and still contracted Ebola simply because of the fact that he did not know how to remove the gloves.
“I have actually seen somebody in the airport when I wanted to catch a flight from Abuja to Lagos. The person was wearing gloves, handling all sorts of things and, at the same time, wiping his face with the gloves.
“The person was not conscious. So, consciousness is a very important factor; knowing how to handle cases is also an important factor, especially for health workers.
“We’ve printed leaflets for the public and also for our staff so that everybody will be aware of what you need to avoid in order to be free of ebola.”
Expressing readiness for the disease, Olufemi stated that the hospital was in the process of procuring protective equipment that doctors, nurses and other medical personnel would wear while treating Ebola patients.
According to him, the hospital management is already talking with the federal government with a view to having isolation wards in the medical center.
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