The ministry of health confirms that Rwanda’s border with the democratic republic of congo is open following traffic slow down last morning as measure were put down to re-enforce screening procedures and public safety at entry point.
According to Rwanda’s minister of Health, Diane Gashumba, while speaking to the press conference, yesterday confirmed that Rwanda so far is Ebola free.
Furthermore, she advised against unnecessary travels to Goma-Eastern Congo, following increasing number of cases of Ebola confirmed in DRC, and requested that individuals who have recently travelled to an Ebola affected area to report to the nearest screening stations and to report any suspected Ebola cases via Rwanda’s ministry of Health toll-free-lines 114, police number 112, or to the community health workers or the nearest health center.
“We are heavily insisting that Rwandans need to be cleaner than usual as well as avoiding cultural way of greeting like shaking hands as they wash hands with clean water and soap, avoiding blood and body fluids, avoiding touching to the items that would have contact with an infected person’s blood and body fluids,” Gashumba advised.
Ebola is transmitted through blood and body fluids, including vomit, urine, saliva, sweat, symptoms including fever, fatigue, joint pain, headache, diarrhea, skin rash, vomiting, red-eyes,stomache-ache and bleeding through different body parts.
Rwanda has a detailed National preparedness plan in place and has trained health workers in early detection and response, educated communities about Ebola, vaccinated health workers in high risk areas, equipped health facilities and continues to conduct simulation exercises to maintain a high level of readiness.
Screening for Ebola symptoms at points of entry has been ongoing since the beginning of the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and has been reinforced since the confirmation of a case in Goma.
“An ebola treatment centre was put in place and 23 isolation units are being prepared in hospitals in 15 priority districts. Ebola response simulation exercises are on a regular basis within the community, borders, airport and treatment center to test Rwanda’s preparedness in a response to a case, which includes emergency operations Centre activation, active surveillance, case management and laboratory testing. About 3000 health workers in high-risk areas have been vaccinated as a preventive measure, including more than 1100 in Rubavu district,” A ministry of Health Press statement writes.
The statement further states that over 23,957 personnel including Doctors, Nurses, hospital staff, community Health workers, religious leaders, Red cross volunteers and security organs were trained to handle the epidemic in case it arises.
The Express News.
