As a means of stopping the entry of the Ebola Virus Disease into the UK territories, the British Health Care Authorities (HCA) have issued an administrative order to all NHIS affiliated hospitals across the United Kingdom banning them from treating medical tourists, routine or emergency patients, particularly from Africa and any country where Ebola outbreak has been reported, especially if such patients have spent less than 21 days in the United Kingdom prior to the treatment date.
A spokesperson of the Royal Wellington Hospital in central London confirmed this statement saying that for a non-British resident to be treated in any public hospital, such a person must have spent 21 days in the UK.
British Doctors are confused about the order with many of them wondering if there is no better way of checkmating the entry of the disease other than an outright denial of medical treatment to those in need of it. They are also concerned about the effect of medical terrorism and backlash from the International community.
The permutation is that a patient is declared free from the Ebola Virus Disease if 21 days after arrival from an Ebola endemic region, such a person remains healthy. However, British citizens and other legal residents who remain in the UK will continue to receive medical treatment as often as they require it.
The British authorities are worried that it was the visit of the late Liberian Ebola patient, Mr. Duncan, that led to the Ebola outbreak in the state of Texas in the United States and they do not want such occurrence to befall the British society. It was from the same Liberia that the late Patrick Sawyer flew the Ebola virus into Nigeria, which has led to the stigmatisation of Nigeria as an Ebola endemic region.
Visitors and medical tourists who arrived in Britain since Wednesday October 15 have not been able to receive medical care from their regular doctors and hospitals despite having confirmed appointment with their doctors before flying down to the UK. Because of the huge waste of money and time involved, many of these patients have threatened to sue the individual hospitals and the British Government in the event that their health deteriorates any further.
