by Bethanie Harriman – EM TV, Lae
Lae City could be the most vulnerable to Ebola as vessels regularly berth at its port, bringing aboard crew and cargoes from all over the world.
The industrial hub hosts the biggest port in the country and may become the entry point for the killer virus.
Medical officers said while the focus will be on Port Moresby’s Jacksons Airport, plans need to be made for the Lae Port as well.
The threat of the Ebola crisis reaching our shores is still very high.
Without a concrete cure, countries around the world continue to be on full alert.
Papua New Guinea expects to get assistance from the World Health Organisation and the Australian government if there is an outbreak.
Health experts in the country,however, have explained that a full-scale quarantine contingency plan is needed for the Lae Port.
They saidit will be an expensive exercise as the facility will need to be isolated and those working in it will need the right gear.
The concerns raised by medical officers come after Australian health officials announced that there will be a delay of two weeks before Australia’s rapid response team is ready to deal with outbreaks in the Asia Pacific, including PNG.
That delay should come as a wake-up call for Papua New Guinean authorities to start drawing contingency plans to assist the Australians, if need be.
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