The Kigali International Airport on Tuesday, November 1 carried out Ebola simulation exercises, preparing the emergency response team in case they receive a suspected case of the highly contagious virus. Although no Ebola virus case has been confirmed in Rwanda so far, the country has stepped precautions after Uganda, its northern neighbour, confirmed an outbreak in September. According to the Ugandan health ministry, at least 37 people have died, out of 129 confirmed cases. The outbreak, which started in Mubende, has now spread to six more districts, including the capital Kampala. Rwandan officials say frontline workers need to be well-prepared just in case. In a simulated scenario at the airport, the flight crew informs the air traffic controllers that there's a suspected Ebola case aboard a Rwandair plane. Then, in response, medics in protective gear go to the scene. All the people aboard were isolated, while the suspected case was taken to hospital for testing. If such a test turns positive, they will be referred to the Ebola treatment centre at Nyamata Hospital in Bugesera District, while the other contacts are taken to Kanyinya Health Centre in Nyarugenge District for a quarantine of 2-21 days. “The purpose of this exercise was first of all in compliance with the national and international standards that require airports to regular exercises emergency in order to be able to respond to any emergency that may occur at any time,” Emmanual Gacinya, the director of airport operations at Rwanda Airports Company, said. “So, in case of such an Ebola emergency, we will be ready to respond to it because everyone knows what they are supposed to do in time and appropriately in order to make sure the suspected case is handled safely.” Similar Ebola response exercises are also being conducted in hospitals around the country. “Ebola preparedness touches on different aspects: contact tracing, laboratory, infection prevention control and case management,” said David Turatsinze, a member of the Ebola rapid response team at the Ministry of Health. “We have been in preparation for the last eight weeks, and we are on a very good level in responding to any threat,” Turatsinze said. With movement of people still open, those arriving in Rwanda from Uganda are screened both at border posts and the Kigali airport. Testing sites have also been opened in hospitals across the country.
