The report is about the response and preparation of American authorities incase Ebola hits the American soil. Already, a Liberian man has died in Dallas because of the disease and several nurses who attended to Ebola patients have also been infected with the disease.
Some of the measures which have been taken include the formation of a 30 person team that will respond to an outbreak of the disease in any part of the country. The team is undergoing high level training at Fort Sam, Houston in Texas. In case of an outbreak in any part of the US, the team will move in to assist local doctors who are not trained in dealing with the disease. The military has also formed a team of professionals to help civilian doctors handle the disease in case of an outbreak. The team will arrive at the place of need within 72 hours upon request by the authorities. The article also talks about the Yah and Jallah family that has been kept in isolation because they came into contact with the Liberian man who died of Ebola. Amount the changes which need to be made in preparation for the disease include improving the dressing for medical professionals that does not cover the whole body because it was initially designed for less developed countries.
The response by the authorities is a very good move. Preparedness will greatly help control the disease in case it arrives in the American soil. However, the 30 man team formed by the Pentagon is too small. Considerations to increase the size of the team should be made. The military response team should improve on their response time. Although they will only be going to assist civilian doctors, they should consider improving their response time so that they will give maximum assistance. It is funny that the World Health Organization’s standards for the protective gear for doctors in third world countries left some skin exposed. The idea of improving the gear is a welcome but I can’t avoid noticing that The World Health Organization was unfair to doctors in the less advanced countries by designing a substandard protective gear.
References:
Pentagon plans Ebola domestic-response team of medical experts to aid doctors. (n.d.). Washington Post. Retrieved October 19, 2014, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pentagon-plans-ebola-domestic-response-team- of-medical-experts-to-aid-doctors/2014/10/19/4cad609a-57b4-11e4-bd61- 346aee66ba29_story.html?hpid=z1
