All air and sea passengers will be asked to fill in a passenger card declaring whether they have travelled to Ebola-hit countries in the past 21 days, Health Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne said this evening.
Speaking in Parliament, Mr Fearne said Mater Dei Hospital is not the only medical facility in Malta that is gearing up and preparing for any potential cases of Ebola.
Mr Fearne said that preparations and equipment is being installed in all legal points of entry to Malta, as well as all medical facilities including the Malta International Airport, the Freeport, all major health centres and Gozo General Hospital amongst others.
Malta has no direct links to the affected countries but, since the incubation period is 21 days passengers could still have visited these countries in the weeks prior to landing in Malta. All incoming passengers will therefore be asked whether they travelled to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in the 21 days prior to landing in Malta. They will have to sign a declaration on their passenger card and those providing false information will be subject to legal action. Those who come from the affected countries will have to undergo medical tests and be kept under observation or in quarantine.
The same process will be followed for catamaran passengers arriving from Sicily. Crewmembers of commercial vessels coming from the affected countries will be tested on arrival.
Mr Fearne said the Emergency Department at Mater Dei has raised its level of vigilance. "All patients are being checked for fever and area asked whether they were abroad recently. Emergency Department staff are being trained and the department has two containment ambulances on a constant state of alert. We have also invested in personal safety gear of the highest standard."
He also said that the Health Department has been in constant contact with the police, the AFM, detention centre management, immigration, customs and many others to offer training and advice on how to spot symptoms.
"Malta has been preparing since June, since before the World Health Organisation announced the epidemic," said Mr Fearne.
He said that one of the most important issues was screening from potential exit points, especially where direct connections to Europe exist.
He also said that there are discussions going on within the EU for the joint procurement of safety gear, medicines and vaccines against Ebola. He also thanked the opposition for their input on the matter earlier today and said that the issue would be discussed at the next meeting of the Ebola Virus Monitoring Committee.
The general public
Mr Fearne said that the Health Department is also disseminating as much information as it can to the general public through the traditional media and social media. It has also issued travel advice and advised people against non-essential travel to infected countries.
Early identification
Mr Fearne went over what he said earlier about entry points and said that training has been given at all of these to allow for early spotting of the disease. He said that there will be an information session for family doctors, who are already being given a list of questions to ask when requested for house visits. If they deem it to be a risk, the Health Department is brought in and doctors would visit the patient in protective clothing. Heads of schools are also being given training. Gozo Channel staff are also being taught how to spot symptoms.
Detention centres
Mr Fearne said the possibility of an Ebola sufferer arriving in Malta is remote, but it could still happen. As a result, any new arrivals at detention centres who cannot prove their identity will be put into quarantine for 21 days as the WHO guidelines suggest. Their temperature will be taken every day.
Equipment
All eight health centres are being provided with infrared thermometers, protective clothing and alcohol rub. Any patient requesting treatment is also asked whether they have been to an infected country. Gozo general hospital has two isolation chambers monitored by CCTV. Any patients suspected or Ebola at Mater Dei would be taken to the infectious Diseases Unit on isolator stretchers and through corridors that will only be used for that specific reason. There are two rooms with CCTV and special ventilation as well as a High Degree Isolation Facility which changes the air in the room 20 times per hour.
Mr Fearne said a national training exercise in November. "The threat of ebola is becoming greater day by day but we are doing all we can to keep our public safe."