Health staff have been trained on how to deal with public emergencies such as an Ebola outbreak.

Infection prevention and control and investigating outbreaks were key elements of the sessions, attended by members of the Department of Health.

The training was conducted by technical advisers from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), including Dr Taraleen Malcolm, adviser for Sustainable Development and Environmental Health, and Oswald Morgan, a PAHO consultant.

“These training sessions are part of an ongoing series of exercises to increase the Department’s public health capacity and preparedness to manage serious infections of public health significance,” Dr Cheryl Peek-Ball, the Department of Health’s chief medical officer, said.

“The goal of the sessions was to ensure that all stakeholders are aware of their professional and personal role in managing a public health emergency.”

There have been no cases of Ebola in Bermuda but the Department of Health said it was “essential” to be prepared.

The training ran from last Tuesday until last Thursday.

Environmental Health staff met with Mr Morgan on Tuesday to discuss areas in need of strengthening, particularly in preparation for managing a Bermuda case of Ebola.

The PAHO representatives also attended the Ebola Preparedness Sub-Committee at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and met with the Infection Control Practitioner and Disaster Response Manager, and received a tour of the hospital.

Intensive Outbreak Investigation training was held on Tuesday afternoon for Department of Health staff who had prior experience of outbreak investigation. All-day training for staff with no previous experience was held on Wednesday.

A presentation at the hospital by Dr Peek-Ball and Dr Malcolm, Public Health Surveillance: Mission Critical, was held on Wednesday afternoon, which aimed to motivate and encourage healthcare professionals to participate in the important work of disease surveillance by reporting all diseases of public health significance.

The Ministry of Health’s planning and preparedness efforts will continue indefinitely.