HEALTH-EBOLA/SPAIN NURSE TRAINING Spain's goverment begins training for public health workers to handle Ebola cases

Record ID: 559587

  • Title: HEALTH-EBOLA/SPAIN NURSE TRAINING Spain's goverment begins training for public health workers to handle Ebola cases
  • Date: 16th October 2014
  • Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (OCTOBER 16, 2014) (REUTERS) MADRID'S CARLOS III HOSPITAL VARIOUS OF HEALTH WORKERS IN PROTECTIVE SUITS SEEN THROUGH WINDOW OF THE SIXTH FLOOR WHERE SPANISH NURSE WITH EBOLA IS BEING TREATED HOSPITAL
  • Embargoed: 31st October 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Spain
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA4Q9S2X42GK4MSPYRXQG2YWFHY
  • Story Text: Spain began training for health workers and emergency services dealing with Ebola cases on Wednesday (October 15), as a nurse who caught the virus in Madrid after caring for infected patients remained seriously ill.
    Images distributed by the Spanish government showed members of the Spanish army learning how to put on protective suits and attending classes on how to prevent infection.
    Recriminations are flying in Spain over whether hospitals were well enough prepared to deal with Ebola cases, after 44-year-old Teresa Romero last week became the first person in the current outbreak to catch the deadly virus outside Africa.
    A broader training program is being developed, government sources said.
    Romero has spent almost two weeks in hospital. On Saturday evening (October 11), however, she was conscious and was responding to hospital staff after being given antibodies from previously infected patients.
    The Spanish government has defended its handling of the outbreak after coming under fire for reacting slowly, amid claims from unions that health staff received insufficient training and equipment to deal with the disease.
    Health Minister Ana Mato told a congressional committee that the government acknowledges mistakes in the initial reaction to the outbreak.
    "It is true that we must improve, it is true that some things have to change because an event has happened in Spain that could have been prevented. Therefore we have to analyse the causes and immediately tackle the situation to avoid a similar event in the future," Mato said.
    The latest Ebola outbreak has killed over 4,000 people, mostly in West Africa, though it is now spreading elsewhere.
    Fifteen people - including Romero's husband, several nurses, doctors and hairdressers who came into contact with her as well as a cleaner and hospital porter - are under observation in an isolated ward. None have yet shown symptoms of the disease.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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