The Philippines Presidential Palace reported the country’s health department has at least three months of Ebola personal protective equipment (PPE) today. Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said during a press briefing Nov. 15 (computer translated), “We have three months of PPE, PPE you use just once. The stockpile is good for 3 months”.
Responding to criticisms that the protective gears available in the country are substandard, Lacierda explained that the protective equipment used for training are different from those used during an actual epidemic.
Local health workers were trained by the World Health Organization on how to handle the spread of the Ebola virus and they were briefed on the suitable protective gear, he said.
“The protective gear used in training … is not the same there in actual use in case of Ebola incident”, he said.
He again emphasized the suits were disposable, only to be used once during an actual incident.
President Benigno S. Aquino III has previously assured that funds are available for use in case of an Ebola contagion in the country.
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