Patients diagnosed with Ebola will be treated in a campaign military hospital which will become operational by the end of November, near Henri Coanda international airport (Otopeni) and will have personal protection equipment and staff decontamination.
“It is a military hospital subordinated to the Ministry of Defense, which, being military, is guarded. It is not a hospital for civil circuit, it does not treat patients with common diseases, it is only in reserve, to treat such cases. We are talking about a container type hospital, powered by electricity, with water, having facilities for proper decontamination of infectious material and for the decontamination of the staff who will be working there. Extremely important is also the personal protection equipment which has to be provided for the staff,” said MD Alexandru Rafila, adviser with the Ministry of Health.
Regarding the staff protection, he stressed that staff dressing and undressing procedures are extremely “delicate”. “If there has been any contamination of the medical staff, I am referring to the US and Germany, it was ascertained that this contamination occurred during the removal of this equipment,” Rafila said.
According to the doctor, the campaign hospital for Ebola patients will have a few dozens of beds.
Regarding the treatment of any possible cases, the doctor explained that “Matei Bals” National Institute for Infectious Diseases already has a section dedicated to the isolation and treatment of these patients, and that additionally to the aforementioned one the campaign military hospital near Otopeni will also operate in Bucharest.
“Work is in progress at this hospital. There will be a period when staff who will be assigned to work in the hospital will be trained. It is very important that medical staff should follow a specialized training to prevent the disease transmission, including to medical staff,” added Alexandru Rafila.
Patients who are suspected of Ebola infection will be brought to the hospital by SMURD ambulance or with the help of the Ambulance Service, which will be equipped with special booths that prevent the contamination of the accompanying staff.