Hospital staff say ‘anti-Ebola’ suits did not meet specifications

MADRID --  Staff at the Carlos III hospital, where the only specifically Ebola unit in the country exists and where the two Spanish missionaries died, this week accused the health authorities of permitting the use of the special suits used at the unit did not meet the security specifications they need. According to staff representatives, regulations, referring to cases such as these should be at Level 4, that is, completely impermeable and autonomous breathing facilities. They say that the suits they were issued were at Level 2. In response, the hospital’s spokesperson, Yolanda Fuentes, denies that security measures were not met. “The suits meet procedural requirements perfectly, as well as the protective measures required for this illness,” she said. As can be seen in the image above, supplied by hospital staff, the suit has no independent breathing apparatus, the gloves are latex, tied on with adhesive tape

The staff add that they wonder why the hospital was not evacuated for the arrival of the Ebola victims and, more importantly, they tell us that waste matter from the unit was transported in the same lifts used by hospital personnel. Fuentes denied this, saying that the elevator was blocked for hospital staff.

The president of the Consejo General de Enfermería (General Council for Nursing), Máximo González Jurado, told Europa Press that he had received a detailed document describing the established procedures and did not wish to alarm anyone until he had studied it carefully. He did, however, criticise the authorities for not consulting the nursing fraternity, nor been asked for its opinion.

“Something went seriously wrong with the nurse who contracted the virus and that cannot be allowed. We are requesting an in-depth analysis of what happened. If that isn’t forthcoming, we will take all necessary measures,” added González.

(Original source: Europa Press)