TORONTO – Several paramedic services in the Greater Toronto Area are not equipped or trained properly to deal with cases of Ebola.
Inspections conducted by the Ontario Ministry of Labour show ambulance services in Peel, Hamilton and Toronto have not trained their first responders sufficiently in order to safely transport Ebola patients, according to a report by the Globe and Mail.
The inspections were conducted between Oct. 14 to 16 and showed some paramedics were concerned about potential exposure.
Earlier this month, the Ontario government announced it is bolstering its Ebola preparedness plan with additional training and support for front line health care workers including designating 10 hospitals to treat potential cases.
Toronto EMS Chief Paul Raftis told reporters following the announcement that they were in the process of upgrading protective equipment.
“We’re now moving to leggings, different style of gowns, different style of glove, mask and head covering that was covered off with full body protection. But in terms of working in the environment, this offers further enhanced protection,” Chief Raftis said on Oct. 17.
“Today we are getting those things out into operation. We have ongoing training with our supervisors and our paramedics.”
In recent weeks, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) have expressed their concerns regarding knowledge and proper training for workers.
The CFNU has called for workers to be fully-trained, tested, drilled and monitored in patient assessment and equipment procedures.
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