Flu kits are being distributed to Health workers by the Ontario government, to beat a possible flu outbreak. This move has attracted a lot of flak from critics , who see this is politically motivated rather than a sincere attempt at combating a flu pandemic. The opinion doing the rounds is that the kits are firstly insufficient and has also arrived late.
According to health minister George Smitherman, 15,000 emergency kits will be distributed across Ontario to the health workers in the forefront. The kits are well endowed with, Masks, Gloves, Disposable gowns, Eye protectors, Hand, sanitizer and a, surface cleaner. The kits will serve to mainly protect the health care workers from infection that spreads through droplets, during the first week to ten days of an outbreak.The kits have been much appreciated by The Ontario College of Family Physicians exclaiming that these kits will surely offer the required protection.
According to George Smitherman, the Health minister, If we are prepared, we can reduce the number of people who might become infected, the number of people who might become very sick, the number of people whose lives might be lost ”
Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Sheila Basrur, said, 'We are far more ready for a significant communicable disease emergency. Whether it be a pandemic of influenza or some other unforeseen bug, we are far more ready now than had we not lived through the SARS crisis.'
