The latest challenge to the medical fraternity has been posed by the recent outburst of the Ebola virus. It is saddening to hear that the virus has widely hit a significant population. There are nearly 45,000 Indians living in Ebola-affected countries – Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. This deadly virus has been a challenge since it was first discovered by Peter Piotin in 1976. According to him, the latest outbreak is caused by the deadliest strain of the virus – 9 out of 10 infected die from it. As heart-wrenching as it may sound, but those returning Indians must be medically examined before letting them ashore. It is not only Indians who return to the country from the affected places but even visitors who go through these countries or nationals of those countries coming to India should undergo check up as well. As of now, no Indian has been detected with the virus yet. The Indian Government appears well aware of the danger that comes with the virus and has taken pro-active steps. It announced that screening and tracking of passengers, originating or transiting from the Ebola-hit region, have been arranged. We only hope that the measures are carried out strictly. Since its outbreak in February, it is said that Ebola has killed 256 people in Sierra Leone while a total of 826 have died in West Africa. The prevention of Ebola presents many challenges as the root cause and the process of transmission of the virus are yet unknown. While there are few primary preventive measures, there is an increased risk among the healthcare setting as a doctor who treated one of the patients with the virus is said to have contracted the virus. We have a lot of nurses and doctors from India who work in Ebola-hit countries. Stringent screening should me made mandatory to ensure that chances of Ebola virus hitting India are reduced to a minimum. If the virus enters India, it can be fatal. The virus can spread rapidly as India is densely populated. With the current rainy season, the humid atmosphere can become a breeding ground for the virus. Indians returning home cannot be asked to stay back in these places as they have to come home on their annual leave – armed forces, professionals and employees. To even stop them from coming may not be the solution as there are no known ways to prevent the virus from transmitting. India needs to formulate strict measures. The government must be well equipped and fully prepared. Now, it is imperative for World Health Organisation (WHO) to investigate from where this deadly virus has originated once again. WHO has reported 1603 cases, including 887 deaths, till August 4 in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. Ebola can be as deadly a virus as AIDS. The good news, at least, is that some people have survived. While there still is a need to find ways for cure, each person should take up responsibility and gear up to control the virus from spreading. It should be the responsibility of every country to control the spread of virus instead of running a blame game or using it as a weapon to attack against another country. Ebola virus in human body may go undetected and increase the number of infected people. So we must find ways to upgrade hospitals and educate people on how to avoid the risk of catching the virus. While we do not want people to panic, we must also raise awareness. Correct information about the virus should definitely reduce fear among the people. The Indian government is yet again faced with yet another challenge like the one it faced when Indians were evacuated from Libya and Iraq. Let’s hope the alarm raised by Ebola will subside and vanish with global medical attempts being made to combat the virus. Till then it is necessary to carry out strict vigilance
Posted on: Sat, 09 Aug 2014 06:31:24 +0000
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