The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has asked the Centre to include the private sector in its ongoing programme for training and preparing the government healthcare sector for Ebola control.
The IMA has pointed out that by focussing only on the government sector and leaving out the private healthcare industry from training could prove to be a serious lacuna in tackling Ebola, even though India is considered a low risk country.
“Nearly 75 per cent of healthcare is provided for by the private system, if we do not involve this sector there could be a serious lapse. How does a lay person know that he could be a carrier of the Ebola virus. He might simply turn up at a local private hospital thinking it is flu. Healthcare workers in private hospitals have to be trained to identify the symptoms,” said Dr. Narendra Saini, honorary secretary general of the IMA.
The Centre has been holding training sessions for the government healthcare professionals.
With little response from the government to its request for funds to educate the private healthcare workers and for partnering with it, the IMA is now mobilising resources for a similar session for the private sector.
He said partnering with private hospitals will also help the government meet the requirements like isolation facilities, if there is an outbreak. “We have already issued a set of guidelines for the healthcare workers, but given the high mortality risk, healthcare workers need intensive and extensive training on how to handle the protective gear and what precautionary measures need to be taken to avoid possible contact with body fluids of suspected patients,” Dr. Saini said.
