MANILA – The Department of Health said it rolled out a multi-sectoral response plan against the Ebola virus disease amid lingering concerns that the deadly virus may enter the Philippines.
Health Secretary Enrique Ona this plan contains the interim guidelines for disease surveillance, notification and reporting of suspected Ebola virus disease cases; clinical management including laboratory testing from suspected cases; and infection control.
A government spokesman Herminio Coloma also said that the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa City would serve as the national referral center for testing and analyzing emerging and reemerging infectious diseases using the same methods being applied by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
He said the RITM had so far examined 18 suspected cases of Ebola, which all rendered negative results, thus making the country still free from the disease.
“Ang lahat ng mga dapat na paghandaan ay pinaghahandaan ng ating Kagawaran ng Kalusugan at pinapatatag ‘yung ating depensa diyan sa Ebola Virus Disease at sa iba pang mga infectious diseases,” Coloma said.
There are currently over 8,000 reported cases of Ebola epidemic, which started in West Africa, with more than half confirmed deaths already.
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