Should Canada Deploy the DART to Africa?

[Smallc]

I'm not sure you understand what Ebola is or what treating it involves. It's not particularly easy to get with proper PPE (all medical professionals have that training, and that's what they are first is medical professionals m) and treating it is something that is not especially difficult. Death rates are cut drastically with standard treatment.

Edited September 26, 2014 by Smallc

[Derek 2.0]

I'm not sure you understand what Ebola is or what treating it involves. It's not particularly easy to get with proper PPE (all medical professionals have that training, and that's what they are first is medical professionals m) and treating it is something that is not especially difficult. Death rates are cut drastically with standard treatment.

How many medical professionals have been infected to date?

[Army Guy]

No but you are speaking from an area where you don't have expertise (what hospitals can and can't do)...not so from my end.

Your right i have no expertise in the medical field, i've been through these field hospitals and role one through 5 hospitals , both as a cas or deliverying cas they are not set up do treat this type of medical care....they are set up and equiped to handle military type cas....thats it.....

i'd like to know how many of these hospitals in Canada are set up to contain and treat ebola.....can't be that many, if the states only has a handfull....

[Smallc]

How many medical professionals have been infected to date?

IN west Africa, the proper PPE ans treatment resources don't exist. That's why the need for a diciplined well equipped team of professionals is needed.

[bush_cheney2004]

Far less then other viruses.........thats not to say we shouldn't help, but like the reductions in HIV/AIDS in Africa, such aide was rendered through government and non-government professionals......not the military.

I understand what you are saying, but involuntary quarantine and "management" of many deceased may speak to a military mission. Natural disasters with large numbers of dead require a specific response if only to manage the secondary impacts to the remaining population.

[Derek 2.0]

IN west Africa, the proper PPE ans treatment resources don't exist. That's why the need for a diciplined well equipped team of professionals is needed.

Like ID specialists? Like the professionals, already there from PHAC?

[Derek 2.0]

I understand what you are saying, but involuntary quarantine and "management" of many deceased may speak to a military mission. Natural disasters with large numbers of dead require a specific response if only to manage the secondary impacts to the remaining population.

If we’re invited, none the less, I’d rather we provide the MOPP gear to the local officials for such enforcement……..very few nations have the same resources (nor mandate) as USAMRMC.

[Army Guy]

I'm not sure you understand what Ebola is or what treating it involves. It's not particularly easy to get with proper PPE (all medical professionals have that training, and that's what they are first is medical professionals m) and treating it is something that is not especially difficult. Death rates are cut drastically with standard treatment.

What i am aware of is , it is deadly and has a 25 to 100% motality rate, there is no know cure at this time, which means there is practically no treatment either, except making the patient comfortable and letting the ebola take it's course.....

I also know that there is only a handle full of special facities in north american that have or experiment with ebola.....that has got to send a message , why is that....becuase it is so deadly....

Your under the impresion that putting on some rubber gloves and a paper mask you'll be OK......i guess those volunteer doctors that have already contracted the ebola have proven that theory wrong.....I wonder what kind of PPE that those people working at those speacial facilites that experiment with ebola wear.....pretty sure it is a fully contained suit, with breathing appartus, in a sealed and contained room....with dozens of secutity measures

what does our field hospital have , none of the above.....

[Army Guy]

This whole thing is starting to sound like parliment debate, DND says we don't have the right equipment or training to do that mission....parliment says pack your bags.....we get on an aircraft and stumble around until we find a solution.....in the mean time soldiers die.....some citizens will weep, and say poor bastards, others will say thats what we pay them for......suck it the fuck up.....the others will say they don't need all that money, to buy all that new equipment....it's cheaper to bury them than it is to equip them.....If the Canadian public is so concerned about what is happening in africa right now then they will agree to pour bils into defense and equip us for the mission.........but at the end of the day Canadians don't give a rats ass what is happening in africa....as mentions by dereck how many have died in the aids thing.....and how many are infected in Canada.....and who is standing right now in front of parliment waving signs we must mobilse now before it becomes a major issue......Goggle earth says no one......

[Smallc]

What i am aware of is , it is deadly and has a 25 to 100% motality rate, there is no know cure at this time, which means there is practically no treatment either, except making the patient comfortable and letting the ebola take it's course.....

I also know that there is only a handle full of special facities in north american that have or experiment with ebola.....that has got to send a message , why is that....becuase it is so deadly....

Your under the impresion that putting on some rubber gloves and a paper mask you'll be OK......i guess those volunteer doctors that have already contracted the ebola have proven that theory wrong.....I wonder what kind of PPE that those people working at those speacial facilites that experiment with ebola wear.....pretty sure it is a fully contained suit, with breathing appartus, in a sealed and contained room....with dozens of secutity measures

what does our field hospital have , none of the above.....

You're getting confused between laboratories and hospitals.

[eyeball]

This whole thing is starting to sound like parliment debate

Yep, as noted in this thread already it's not rocket science that's baffling us, it's political science.

Canadians don't give a rats ass what is happening in africa

Canadians give a rat's ass about Ebola, they're scared of it and they know we're behind instead of in front of an exponentially spreading disease that has been described as having the potential to become as pandemic as some of the worst plagues in history. Maybe people have watched too many apocalyptic movies or listened to too many politicians and governments telling us how threatening the world is and the need for both vigilance and preparedness. How unrealistic are people's fears and expectations of swift military like response to them when and if they materialize?

If I could add a poll to this thread I'd ask what the greater threat facing us is at the moment, ISIS, Ebola, super-power tensions, climate change, Justin Trudeau. The results could be interesting.

[overthere]

Recent poll on national priorities by CNN in US:

CNN/ORC Poll. Sept. 5-7, 2014. N=1,014 adults nationwide. Margin of error ± 3.

"Which of the following is the most important issue facing the country today?
The economy. Terrorism. Illegal immigration. Health care. Education. The federal budget deficit. The situation in Iraq and Syria. Energy and environmental policies."

%

The economy

30

Terrorism

14

Illegal immigration

12

Health care

11

Education

11

The federal budget deficit

8

The situation in Iraq and Syria

7

Energy and environmental policies

4

Other (vol.)

2

Unsure

1

Locally, the #1 priority is likely the lack of a second line centre with the hockey season about to start.

[Derek 2.0]

You're getting confused between laboratories and hospitals.

When you go to the doctors with a soar throat, and he/she takes a swab, where does it go? And is said place staffed by the army?

Now how do medical professionals determine if a person has Ebola? Also, how do said professionals determine if said person's condition is improving or getting worse?

[Army Guy]

You're getting confused between laboratories and hospitals.

Maybe i am, so are you saying that the labs are over thinking this issue, they take to many precautions...why does the American military team deploy to any ebola crisies with full medical containment suits.....are they being to cautious.......

[Smallc]

You send it to the mobile lab, which could be integrated with the field hospital. It's not a difficult test anymore.

[Army Guy]

This whole thing is starting to sound like parliment debate, DND says we don't have the right equipment or training to do that mission....parliment says pack your bags.....we get on an aircraft and stumble around until we find a solution.....in the mean time soldiers die.....some citizens will weep, and say poor bastards, others will say thats what we pay them for......suck it the fuck up.....the others will say they don't need all that money, to buy all that new equipment....it's cheaper to bury them than it is to equip them.....If the Canadian public is so concerned about what is happening in africa right now then they will agree to pour bils into defense and equip us for the mission.........but at the end of the day Canadians don't give a rats ass what is happening in africa....as mentions by dereck how many have died in the aids thing.....and how many are infected in Canada.....and who is standing right now in front of parliment waving signs we must mobilse now before it becomes a major issue......Goggle earth says no one......

Im sure it is the conversation at the supper table. but again millions have died with the aids virus, , and it claims lives of candians every year....and yet there is no herc on the tarmac with a vacine.....just like rwanda...we talked about it, shit we even debated the shit out of it in parliment and yet we watched as hundrads of thousands were bucthered in the streets....after it was all over we even had the balls to ask why delaire was so stressed out for.....instead we said can you pass the butter.....That is not concern or even giving a rats ass....thats sticking our heads in the sand and hope it does not cross our borders.....

[Moonbox]

We're good at responding to disasters.

DART's medical platoon capabilities are described as:

(operating) a medical aid station, a small tented facility offering laboratory, pharmacy, rehydration, preventive medicine and limited obstetrics services. It does not provide surgical or trauma care services. The health care centre can serve 250 to 300 outpatients and 10 inpatients per day, depending on their needs.

The Ebola outbreak requires ID specialists, immunologists and epidemiologists. Sending a military relief unit specializing in pharmacy, preventative medicine and baby-delivering is not a smart move.

Edited September 26, 2014 by Moonbox

[Argus]

How many medical professionals have been infected to date?

From what I've read these doctors are working 16 hrs a day in appalling conditions of overcrowding, without air conditioning, often in the wrong kinds of suits in which they smother in the heat. Even so, only a few have caught it.

[Derek 2.0]

You send it to the mobile lab, which could be integrated with the field hospital. It's not a difficult test anymore.

How many mobile labs, outfitted for infectious disease, coupled with isolation wards, does DND have? I’ll give you a hint, it’s less than 1……..

I fail to see the problem here, namely when a serving and retired member are telling you the facts, but more so, a release from the Federal Government stating as such.......are you just wasting our time?

[Smallc]

How many mobile labs, outfitted for infectious disease, coupled with isolation wards, does DND have? Ill give you a hint, its less than 1..

I fail to see the problem here, namely when a serving and retired member are telling you the facts, but more so, a release from the Federal Government stating as such.......are you just wasting our time?

PHAP has a lab operating there. They could work together.

[Army Guy]

You send it to the mobile lab, which could be integrated with the field hospital. It's not a difficult test anymore.

So you can id who has who does not, how do you treat them and still minimise the danger to your staff.....how do you contain the ebola...with just canvass tents,

[Smallc]

DART's medical platoon capabilities are described as:

(operating) a medical aid station, a small tented facility offering laboratory, pharmacy, rehydration, preventive medicine and limited obstetrics services. It does not provide surgical or trauma care services. The health care centre can serve 250 to 300 outpatients and 10 inpatients per day, depending on their needs.

The Ebola outbreak requires ID specialists, immunologists and epidemiologists. Sending a military relief unit specializing in pharmacy, preventative medicine and baby-delivering is not a smart move.

If you'll look back you'll see I suggested 1 Canadian Field Hospital.

[Argus]

DART's medical platoon capabilities are described as:

(operating) a medical aid station, a small tented facility offering laboratory, pharmacy, rehydration, preventive medicine and limited obstetrics services. It does not provide surgical or trauma care services. The health care centre can serve 250 to 300 outpatients and 10 inpatients per day, depending on their needs.

The Ebola outbreak requires ID specialists, immunologists and epidemiologists. Sending a military relief unit specializing in pharmacy, preventative medicine and baby-delivering is not a smart move.

If this group doesn't treat trauma or do surgeries I would question what good it is in terms of medical relief for emergencies. If someone comes in after they break their arm during an earthquake do they offer to do a lab test for him and send him on his way or what? Seems a pretty poorly organized emergency group if this is the case, and I imagine that's why it rarely goes anywhere.

Edited September 26, 2014 by Argus

[Derek 2.0]

From what I've read these doctors are working 16 hrs a day in appalling conditions of overcrowding, without air conditioning, often in the wrong kinds of suits in which they smother in the heat. Even so, only a few have caught it.

What's "a few"?

[Smallc]

So you can id who has who does not, how do you treat them and still minimise the danger to your staff.....how do you contain the ebola...with just canvass tents,

Ebola is easily contained in such tents as it isn't an airborne virus. Further to that, standars treatment involves hydration and bacterial infection control. It makes people far far less likely to die.