PNP readies hospital isolation rooms for possible Ebola victims–spokesman

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) is preparing its hospital facilities at Camp Crame in Quezon City for victims of the deadly Ebola virus who will be entering the country.

“We are finishing our preparation of the isolation rooms, we are preparing for it,” Chief Inspector Raymond Santos, head of the emergency services department, said in a press briefing on Friday.

Thirty PNP personnel, who served at the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Liberia, will return to the Philippines after they finish their tour of duty in October.

In 2013, the PNP sent the peacekeepers to Liberia in West Africa during the breakout of the deadly Ebola virus there.

The PNP, however, said that the Filipino peackeepers in Liberia remain Ebola-free.

“The PNP is closely coordinating with the Department of Health for other pre-emptive actions such as the conduct of post-arrival medical examinations on all returning peacekeepers to prevent possible infection in the country,” said Chief Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac, PNP spokesperson.

The PNP is also assisting the Department of Health (DOH) in locating suspected carriers of the deadly Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the country.

“We assist the health department in that aspect, in providing security,” he said.

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