HA ready to face down Ebola threat

The past months have seen a flurry of activity by the Hospital Authority in response to the current outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in West Africa. To ensure we are well prepared to handle any suspected or confirmed EVD cases, HA’s Central Committee for Infectious Disease and Emergency Response and infection control teams at clusters and hospitals have discussions with senior management and coordinated their efforts to develop and implement a comprehensive measures.

In an e-mail sent to all staff in mid-August, HA Chief Executive PY Leung set out HA’s response to the threat posed by the current EVD outbreak. A series of enhanced infection control measures have been initiated, which include preparing a three-month supply of standard personal protective equipment (PPE). HA Head Office will maintain close communication with staff and use channels such as a dedicated webpage, staff forums, HASLink and the ‘Pre-80s Meet Post-80s’ live broadcast programme to keep colleagues up to date with all new developments and information. The Authority will also provide psychological support for staff through a special hotline and various programmes. Relevant colleagues are already being provided with training which includes teaching frontline workers to recognise potential symptoms of EVD and how to minimise their personal safety risk by following established protocols when gowning and de-gowning. A drill involving ‘real-life scenarios’ is helping staff test the procedure for handling a suspected case of EVD.

HA undertook a detailed study of international guidelines from the World Health Organization, the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and the UK’s Department of Health on the PPE requirements for healthcare professionals who are caring for suspected or confirmed EVD patients. With international-level standards now established, HA Head Office is coordinating the procurement of additional PPE items. The first batch of these items was delivered in late August and will be distributed by cluster General Managers (Administrative Services) to hospitals in each of their respective clusters.

Psychological PPE for staff

The Corporate Clinical Psychology Services (CCPS) at HA Head Office is well prepared to offer comprehensive psychological support to all members of the HA team corresponding to staff needs and development of the infectious disease.

One of those important initiatives is to establish a dedicated emotional support helpline to provide colleagues working in the high risk areas with immediate assistance and advice. In addition, professional psychological support for all colleagues is also just a phone call away via CCPS’s existing enquiry hotline (2300 8618). Assessment will be made through phone consultation and psychological triage. Appropriate psychological and / or crisis intervention assistance will be rendered according to the severity and urgency of the case.

Studies indicated that the outbreak of contagious epidemic brings a variety of psychological pressure to health care workers, thus the CCPS places emphasis on providing relevant training and easily accessable psychological support services to HA staff before the crisis occurs. The gist of preparedness is to equip our workforce with the best skills and competencies, and to prepare them for the worst.

The CCPS has developed a series of training programmes which will be conducted by Clinical Psychologists of the CCPS to enhance the psychological preparedness of staff in facing the outbreak of infectious disease. For enquiries about the training programmes, colleagues may call 2300 8619.

Together we fight against Ebola threat

On August 20, HKSAR Secretary for Food and Health Ko Wing-man joined Hospital Authority Chairman John Leong Chi-yan and HA Chief Executive PY Leung to visit the Accident & Emergency Department and Infectious Disease Centre at Princess Margaret Hospital to listen to the concerns of frontline staff regarding the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). Colleagues’ questions largely centred around whether HA had sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment in place and how manpower support and staff deployment arrangements were being handled.

Professor Leong said he fully understands the anxieties and additional work pressures that staff currently face and emphasised that HA Head Office is determined to work in close partnership with colleagues on the frontlines to overcome any challenges. Head Office is also reviewing relevant policies and guidelines in various areas to ensure colleagues enjoy a high level of support.

Dr Leung noted that all members of management and staff should focus on scientific evidence and established facts in responding to any changes in the current situation, adding that a positive spirit and professional behaviour are essential to successfully combatting the EVD threat.

Deployment strategy for frontline colleagues

Depending on the response levels, HA will review the need for granting extra days off to colleagues after they worked in the high risk areas. Head Office and cluster management will also identify temporary accommodations for member of staff who may need to be kept under medical surveillance.

Depending on the seriousness of the circumstances and manpower availability, staff will be deployed to high-risk areas for a maximum of six weeks. Colleagues who are pregnant will not be asked to work in high-risk areas. If both individuals in a couple are healthcare workers, they will not be deployed to high-risk areas at the same time.

Staff will be provided with appropriate personal protective equipment and training before being deployed to handle suspected or confirmed cases of EVD. No quarantine period will therefore be required if they adhere to the established procedural protocols and strict infection control precautions at all times.

Should you have any enquiries, please refer to HA’s designated webpage on EVD (http://qsdportal/iec/Website/IEC%20Webpage/Ebola/Ebola%20Virus.htm) for the latest developments and updates.

Test EVD procedures

The scenario began with a 40-year-old man who had recent travel history to Guinea of Western Africa and returned to Hong Kong, and was now running a fever, vomiting and passing bloody diarrhea. Following a call to the emergency services, an ambulance was en route to North District Hospital (NDH) with the patient onboard.

A drill, codenamed ‘Exercise Icon’, was jointly organised by the Hospital Authority Head Office Major Incident Control Centre (HAHO MICC), NDH, the HA Infectious Disease Centre (HA IDC) at Princess Margaret Hospital and Hong Kong’s Fire Services Department in early September with over 70 participants. Simulating the process of dealing with a patient who may have Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), the drill enable staff to test the interdepartmental communication as well as practical application of the emergency procedures and protocols should a suspected case of EVD be reported in Hong Kong.