A two-member team appointed by the Union Health Ministry visited Gandhi Hospital on Wednesday to oversee Ebola preparedness in Hyderabad.
The team – comprising Sujatha Sistla, a professor of microbiology, and Niranjan Biswal, a professor of paediatrics, both from JIPMER, Puducherry – undertook a thorough tour of the hospital to take stock of its facilities.
The health authorities here had already identified Gandhi Hospital as a nodal agency to handle Ebola cases. The medical team visited the upper floors of Gandhi Hospital, which have been earmarked for Ebola cases, laboratory facilities, mortuary, casualty and other emergency services.
It is learnt that the team was satisfied with the infrastructure and facilities.
“There is a need for capacity-building like sensitisation and training of all health care workers. We are geared up and ready for the battle in case Ebola cases get reported,” said Ebola co-ordinator, Telangana, K. Subhakar.
The VIP and paid rooms on the top floor of the hospital have been converted into Ebola wards with 10 beds. The authorities said there was also a provision for a separate lift. Hospital officials said a separate pathway, away from the outpatient facilities, would also be provided to ambulances.
