Ministry of Health tests island’s readiness for flu pandemic
Date Posted: Tuesday, April 01, 2008Author: Bermuda Network News
Health
Latest News
- BERMUDA NETWORK NEWS WILL RE-LAUNCH SEPTEMBER 1
- Police make arrest in murder inquiry
- Visitor spending increases
- Ministry of Health tests island’s readiness for flu pandemic
- UBP has no plans to disband - chairman
- Motorcyclist and passenger injured
- Motorcyclists injured in separate collisions
- Bermuda to celebrate Earth Hour
- Government issues health challenge
- New laundry opens at KEMH
Search Local News:
Bermuda tested its readiness for a flu pandemic by holding a workshop for the island’s essential services and business community.
The event, which was organized by The Ministry of Health, included presentations on public health approaches to pandemic influenza planning, an overview of Bermuda’s Pandemic Plan and concluded with an exercise setting out a scenario to test Bermuda’s ability to respond in the event of an pandemic.
The Chief Medical Officer, Dr. John Cann, said: “There were several lessons learned. Key amongst them was that communication more than anything else will be the difference between successfully managing a national emergency and ensuring the support and overall wellbeing of the public.
“Planning and coordination are paramount in being able to respond effectively to an influenza pandemic. This exercise served to inform our stakeholders of their role in an influenza pandemic and to advise health officials of areas of concern as we continue to monitor the H5N1 virus.
“Although at this point there continues to be no human-to-human spread of the virus, we must be prepared in the event that this situation changes. An exercise such as this assists us to ensure that necessary steps are being taken in preparation.”