Nakonde intensifies Ebola screening

Nakonde intensifies Ebola screening

Nakonde, August 14, 2014, ZANIS…Health authorities at the Nakonde border post in Muchinga province have intensified screening for the deadly Ebola virus.

This was revealed yesterday during a District rapid response meeting organized by the District Medical office.

Acting District Medical officer Keno Mwamba Sangwa said the medical office in the district is working hand in hand with the immigration department to ensure that screening is intensified.

Dr Sangwa said an infra red thermometer has been installed at the border to detect all suspicious travelers.

Meanwhile, despite the measures that are being put in place at Nakonde border, the medical office in the district is still facing  challenges in terms  of well trained medical personnel and materials such as protective clothing if there was to be an outbreak of the disease.

During the rapid response meeting attended by heads of government departments and stake holders, it was agreed that sensitization campaigns on the Ebola disease should be intensified so that the local people are made aware about the deadly virus.

The meeting felt this was important especially that Nakonde border was very porous and not everyone passed through the immigration department to be screened when entering the country.

Meanwhile, Dr Sangwa has appealed to members of the public in Nakonde to be conscious and look out for the symptoms of Ebola as they are similar to those of Malaria.

Ebola has broken out in West Africa killing over a thousand people while the Zambian government has banned the arrival of visitors from that part of the continent.