Ebola: Government identifies three hospitals to treat positive cases

The Health Ministry has identified 21 hospitals across the country to receive cases of Ebola to be confirmed and initial management.

Those who test positive for Ebola, will be transferred to either Sungai Buloh Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu or Kuching General Hospital, Sarawak for treatment.

Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said a total of 20 labs have also been identified to carry out routine Ebola checks.

He said the ministry had also identified three labs to do Ebola confirmation tests. They are the Institute of Medical Research (IMR), National Public Health Laboratory, Sungai Buloh and the Public Health Laboratory, Kota Kinabalu.

The number of fatalities of Ebola worldwide had exceeded 4,000 mainly in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Guinea with more than 8,000 infected.

The virus was first identified in 1976, in central Africa.

Dr Noor Hisham in a press statement said the ministry is also actively monitoring the preparedness of its officials in handling the outbreak and had held four simulation activities so far.

He said the ministry had also holding multi-sectoral collaboration with various ministries and agencies in monitoring the disease.

He said the government’s monitoring is not only limited to African men but to all nationals who had stayed, worked or visited the four countries.