Ebola drill held at American Medical Center
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.9999990463257px; line-height: 13.7999992370605px;">GMA member Dr. Vince Akimoto says the American Medical Center was forced to improvise during a drill for a suspected Ebola case on Sunday in which a Japanese man had returned from a trip to Western Africa and traveled to Guam with his family. </span>
November 3, 2014Updated: November 3, 2014
By KUAM News
By KUAM News by Krystal Paco
Guam - Not everyone is convinced Guam is Ebola-ready, including the Guam Medical Association.
GMA member Dr. Vince Akimoto says the American Medical Center was forced to improvise during a drill for a suspected Ebola case on Sunday in which a Japanese man had returned from a trip to Western Africa and traveled to Guam with his family. As part of the exercise, the clinic called 911 only to find dispatch didn't have all the information to properly handle the call.
"Our ability to get these people to a hospital was thwarted by the fact that the GMH emergency room was not ready. According to homeland security there was supposed to be agreements with Naval Hospital to accept. As of yesterday we did not hear from the GMH doctors that that was in place. So when we discussed this with GFD and Public Health, apparently they're trying to make those arrangements but yesterday they were not in place," he told KUAM News.
Fortunately, it was only a drill. The GMA asks more cooperation from Public Health and notes that clinic staff had to use trash bags duct taped to themselves because they didn't have the right gear.
Guam - Not everyone is convinced Guam is Ebola-ready, including the Guam Medical Association.
GMA member Dr. Vince Akimoto says the American Medical Center was forced to improvise during a drill for a suspected Ebola case on Sunday in which a Japanese man had returned from a trip to Western Africa and traveled to Guam with his family. As part of the exercise, the clinic called 911 only to find dispatch didn't have all the information to properly handle the call.
"Our ability to get these people to a hospital was thwarted by the fact that the GMH emergency room was not ready. According to homeland security there was supposed to be agreements with Naval Hospital to accept. As of yesterday we did not hear from the GMH doctors that that was in place. So when we discussed this with GFD and Public Health, apparently they're trying to make those arrangements but yesterday they were not in place," he told KUAM News.
Fortunately, it was only a drill. The GMA asks more cooperation from Public Health and notes that clinic staff had to use trash bags duct taped to themselves because they didn't have the right gear.