Labuan Ebola preparedness taken too far

LABUAN: The Nucleus Hospital here has barred the parking of vehicles in front of the quarantine building with a notice that the step is necessary in case an Ebola-infected patient needs to be admitted.As a result, some 15 parking lots have been sealed off, that is they cannot be used by the visitors or hospital staff.

A visitor to the hospital who did not want to be identified said that with the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus, it was certainly normal and expected for hospitals to be cautious in the interest of the public.

But not all of them are supportive of the action of the hospital.

A senior citizen who visited the hospital for consultation and medication said:

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"We feel the hospital is over-reacting to the epidemic which has not threatened this part of the globe."

He also said it made little sense for the hospital to bar parking of vehicles in front of the quarantine building as a safety measure while the canteen located just next to the quarantine building and in same distance away from the close parking lots remained open with sores of staff and others walking in and out of it.

The senior citizen said while the hospital is solving one "imaginary" problem of Ebola in Labuan it created a new problem for many hospital visitors who could not find parking in the compound and have to park along the highway at times.

He viewed the hospital's Ebola control step as unwarranted and unnecessary because even if a person develops Ebola infection symptoms, that person would be taken to the emergency ward in the first place.

After the process of diagnosis, if he were a confirmed case, he would then be quarantined.

There is therefore plenty of time ahead to close the parking bays, why rush to do it now, it would be better checking at entry points be intensified instead."

The Ebola epidemic has been ravaging West Africa and some 5,000 have died of the infection in Guinea, Libera and Sierra Leone.

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The hospital has about 100 over parking lots and over 380 workers. Most of the lots are taken up by the employees, leaving few for outsiders.

He said the hospital should apply for funds to increase the parking lots and also to relocate the quarantine building which rightfully cannot be next to food serving canteen.

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