The Senate Committee on Health and Demography will conduct a hearing
tomorrow to assess the country’s preparedness against the Ebola virus.
Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, head of the committee, said the hearing
primarily aims to check whether the country’s front-line agencies are
prepared to deal with the virus in the event it enters the country.
“We will conduct these hearings, not to sow panic, but rather to
gather everyone involved and ensure that all concerned government
agencies are synchronized in their efforts and are prepared in dealing
with this disease,” Guingona said.
“This is a multi-faceted issue, and we should be able to work
together as a cohesive unit in order for us to effectively control this
pandemic,” he added.
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) officials said there are nearly
3,500 Filipino workers in West African countries that are hardest hit by
Ebola.
The Ebola virus has already hit the United States as its authorities
now struggle to contain the spread of the disease after some of its
doctors contracted the disease. Liberia and Sierra Leone are the two
African countries worst hit by the Ebola virus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged all countries to be vigilant and strengthen preparations against Ebola.
The Senate committee has invited officials from the Department of
Health (DOH), DFA, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA),
Bureau of Quarantine, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA),
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Research Institute for Tropical
Medicine San Lazaro Hospital, National Kidney and Transplant Institute
(NKTI), World Health Organization (WHO) country representatives,
Philippine Medical Association (PMA), Philippine Nurses Association,
Inc.(PNA), and Philippine Hospital Association (PHA).
