Phl, WHO to hold training for health workers in handling Ebola cases

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The Philippine government will conduct specialized training programs for health workers on how to detect and treat cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and prevent the spread of the disease in the country, a senior government official said today.

The Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Enrique Ona said the special training will be done in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Philippines.   "After the successful National Ebola Summit held last Friday ( Oct. 10), we want to primarily increase the capacity of our health workers nationwide in responding to EVD, like what we did when SARS and H1N1 threatened the country a few years ago," he said.

The training, starting Oct. 28 and every week thereafter, has been designed by the DOH and the WHO Philippines and will be jointly managed by both organizations, Ona said.

He added that expert trainers, such as experts in infectious diseases and EVD, have been recruited from within the Philippines and overseas.

The knowledge and skills gained from the training is expected to increase the capacity of the national health system to prevent or respond if an imported case of EVD in the Philippines occurs, Ona said.