Ebola in US: Obama calls Dallas Mayor to ensure help from federal governement

US President Barack Obama and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings discussed the first Ebola case diagnosed on American soil and the president pledged full support to prevent the disease from spreading.'The pre

By: Editorial Team | | Published: October 3, 2014 1:35 pm

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US President Barack Obama and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings discussed the first Ebola case diagnosed on American soil and the president pledged full support to prevent the disease from spreading. Also Read - Ganesh Chaturthi 2020: 4 reasons an eco-friendly Ganesha is good for you

‘The president called to make sure the mayor was getting the resources he needed from the federal government, including the Centers for Disease Control, to treat the patient safely, and control this case so that it does not spread widely,’ Xinhua quoted a statement issued by White House spokesman Eric Schultz Thursday as saying. The President pledged that federal agencies would remain in close coordination and reiterated his confidence in America’s doctors and national health infrastructure to handle this case safely and effectively, Schultz said. Also Read - 7 reasons why the #BeefBan is good

Obama made the call while aboard Air Force One en route back to Washington from Chicago. The patient, who was identified as Thomas Eric Duncan, is a Liberian national in his mid-40s. He travelled to Dallas to visit his relatives and was confirmed to be infected with Ebola Tuesday. The hospital where Duncan is being treated said his condition is serious. Also Read - Weight loss diet: How to eat healthy in a restaurant when you want to lose weight

Will US health authorities combat Ebola spread?

Health authorities confident about controlling it

In an official statement confirming the first Ebola positive case in US, Tom Frieden, director of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assured the citizens that the outbreak won’t spread beyond that one patient. ‘There is no doubt, in my mind, that we will stop it here. I have no doubt that we will control this case of Ebola so it does not spread widely in this country,’ Frieden mentioned. ‘Ebola can be scary. But there’s all the difference in the world between the US and other parts of Africa where Ebola is spreading. We will certainly make sure this case does not threaten our communities, he assured.

US was well-prepared in advance to tackle Ebola

Not only does the United States have sufficient health resources, it also has a stringent isolation protocol in place to tackle additional cases, if any. US President Barack Obama and Frieden have discussed implementation of the protocols to mitigate the risk, according to the official statement. Besides, the healthcare system in US is strong, the infrastructure and facilities are in place and the public health professionals there are well-trained, which highlight preparedness of US for tackling Ebola.

Image source: Getty images

With inputs from IANS

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Published : October 3, 2014 1:35 pm

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