South Down MP Â Margaret Ritchie has called on the UK government to make sure adequate protections are in place to ensure that the Ebola virus does not enter or spread throughout the UK.
Ms Ritchie has submitted Parliamentary questions to the UK Health Secretary on this and commented: “In an increasingly interconnected world there is an increased risk of the spread of highly infectious and dangerous diseases. I welcome the aid that has been provided by DFID to support the countries where this terrifying disease has struck and it is vital that all assistance possible is given to countries that are suffering following this outbreak.
“However, I am worried at reports from the Immigration Service Union that border, immigration and customs officials are not adequately prepared to deal with the possibility of someone infected with the disease entering the UK. It is also deeply worrying that there does not appear to be adequate health containment facilities at airports and ports to deal with a major incident of this kind.
“Given how many people enter Northern Ireland directly from major airports in London and Dublin, it is critical that the devolved administrations are kept fully informed and provided with adequate resources to deal with this. I would call on the British government to hold immediate conversations with Health and Transport officials in Ireland, North and South, to ensure that they are fully equipped to deal with any potentially dangerous situation.
“I would also like to know what specific training border officials and other staff at Northern Ireland’s airports and ports have been given to recognise and isolate any potentially infected person, while protecting their own personal safety.”
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