site.btaCondition of Healthcare System in the Country Is Key to Prevent Ebola Spread - Chief State Health Inspector

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Condition of Healthcare System in the Country
Is Key to Prevent Ebola Spread - Chief
State Health Inspector


Sofia, October 10 (BTA) - Control along Bulgarian borders exists
but the condition of on-the-spot healthcare is key to the
effective monitoring of Ebola, Chief State Health Inspector Dr.
Angel Kounchev said in an interview for BTA Friday. Kounchev was
asked to comment on the measures, which are being undertaken
after the latest confirmed and unconfirmed reports for Ebola
cases in Europe.

"We cannot test all people entering Bulgaria on one occasion or
another," Kounchev said. "Control along Bulgarian borders mainly
focuses on the refugees, regardless of whether they pass
through a border checkpoint or green border. They are all
subject to medical examinations and monitoring before and after
they are relocated to accommodation centres," he explained.

  The risk at Sofia Airport was calculated at 0.003, and
for Varna and Bourgas at 0.001, which is exceedingly low. The
key airport from which such a passenger changing planes could
arrive to Bulgaria is London, then Frankfurt, Milan and Paris.

There could be a change in the assessment of risk for Bulgaria
if the suspected case of the Briton with Ebola in Macedonia is
confirmed. The results will come out in a few days and
subsequent decisions will be made.

Military Medical Academy will probably be supplied with a
special stretcher for Ebola patients, but this is not of key
importance because the patient will remain in it for about 20 or
30 minutes until he or she reaches the infectious diseases
ward. It is more important that such a patient should be cared
for after that, blood and bodily liquid samples should be taken
for tests, which is a high-risk action. The hospitals are
equipped with protective equipment but additional one will also
be bought. The ward for infectious diseases at the Military
Academy was furnished according to all requirements with 24
million leva, but 2 million leva cannot be set aside for the
same action in the case of the Hospital for Infectious Diseases
in the course of 10 years, Kounchev./PK/BR