#JamaicaNews: Gov't mum on planned Ebola centre at Chest Hospital




HEALTH officials yesterday declined to confirm whether an Ebola quarantine centre is being constructed at the National Chest Hospital in St Andrew but said that no operation will be conducted at the Barbican, St Andrew, premises that will put residents at risk.
Dr Kevin Harvey, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health, was vague in his response to a question from the Jamaica Observer regarding the supposed centre which has caused unease among residents of Barbican Terrace.
"...What I will say about the National Chest Hospital is that historically, and for the future, it is and will remain the infectious disease specialist hospital for the country," Harvey said during a press conference to give an update on the country's Ebola preparations.

When asked about concerns expressed by residents to the Observer, he said: "We have not had a specific concern put to us by any resident, neither have we had any complaints. The operations of National Chest would not impact the community. It has been there for many years and it has [not negatively] impacted the community and, in fact there are no operations that will or is taking place at Chest that can potentially put the community at any risk."
In the meantime, Minister of Health Dr Fenton Ferguson said he is willing to meet with residents of surrounding communities to address their concerns.
"Let me just say, however, in the interest of good governance [that] we would not be averse to having a community meeting to communicate with the residents," Ferguson said.
Residents of heavily populated communities neighbouring the Chest Hospital are disgruntled following reports that the Government plans to construct an Ebola quarantine unit on the hospital grounds.
"We keep hearing about these reports that a quarantine area is being constructed on the grounds of the medical facility and it is causing jitters in and around our communities. We want to hear from the health authorities to find out if there is any truth to what we hearing," John Nelson, a resident of Barbican Terrace, told the Observer on Monday.
"Right now, we believe that if there is any truth to such reports a quarantine area should be constructed far away from towns and other communities, somewhere like Goat Island would be ideal," another resident, Mugabe Marks, argued.
Meanwhile, yesterday the health minister announced that two experts are to arrive from Cuba next week, to assist with the training of health-care workers and other designated Ebola frontline responders.
This will form part of a Memorandum of Understanding to formalise Cuba's commitment to provide technical assistance to strengthen Jamaica's Ebola preparedness and response, which is to be established between the governments of both countries.

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