Several unions representing Canadian nurses say they have not had enough training nor do they have enough protective equipment to ensure they are safe while treating Ebola patients. No one in Canada has so far tested positive for the deadly virus.
Inadequate protective equipment
Some union leaders complained of ill-fitting or inadequate protective equipment. Others said nurses were not trained on how to don and doff the equipment. One even said the extent of her hospital’s training was a link to the U.S. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention website.
The Canadian federation of Nurses Unions even ran test “inspections” to see how prepared some sample hospitals were. It reported several shortcomings in equipment, training and standard procedures although it would not say where exactly.
A letter to the editor of the Globe and Mail newspaper asks if hospitals are not successfully controlling antibiotic resistant bacteria, how can they possibly be counted on to control the spread of Ebola.
Many hospitals have suffered deep budget cuts
Health care funding has been so severely cut in much of the country that many hospitals have had to cut back on cleaning and staffing.
Public health officials have been reassuring the public that the health care system is well prepared to handle possible Ebola cases, particularly given its experience with the SARS outbreak in 2003.
Canadians may be forgiven for having their doubts.
The Public Health Agency of Canada is planning to meet with nurses and health-care workers to discuss the handling of Ebola.
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