Health officials refused to identify six hospitals that are preparing to install specialized Ebola treatment units in Atlanta. The refusal by Georgia health authorities has prompted several healthcare personnel and state lawmakers to call for more transparency to prepare for the possibility of more patients to be treated in the state.
According to Georgia Department of Public Health spokesperson Ryan Deal, Atlanta hospital administrators asked for anonymity until their facilities are fully prepared to treat patients with symptoms of Ebola.
"There's potential that unintended consequences could become a problem," Deal said. "We don't want to slow down the process."
The unnamed hospitals will join the Emory University Hospital as Atlanta's primary Ebola treatment centers. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the heath officials are wary to disclose the hospital's identities for fears over the public's negative reactions that could slow the treatment centers' preparedness.
The Emory University Hospital in Atlanta is one of the seven treatment centers designated by the state as Ebola treatment facilities. According to the Sun Herald, the hospital has already treated four patients who either contracted the virus in West Africa or while intensively caring for someone infected with the disease.
However, the decision of the state health officials not to reveal the identities of the hospitals was criticized by the healthcare unions.
"I want to know if the nurses are being trained properly, if they are using the best equipment," the Vice President of National Nurses United said. "I want to know the nurses are ready to go, that the hospitals will be protected and that the public will be protected."
Democrat Senator Vincent Fort of Atlanta also said the state's preparation for Ebola treatment should be more transparent. But in spite of the criticisms, Georgia Public Health Commissioner Brenda Fitzgerald said the state is respecting the wishes of the hospital administrators who would rather not be subjected with inquiries from the press and the public.
Meanwhile, Director of Advocates for Responsible Care Dorothy Leone-Glasser said the hospitals' names should be released to community health clinics, local patient advocates, hospital staff and others who may be directly impacted.
"There's no community involvement in what's happening with the hospitals, and that's the problem," Leone-Glasser stated.
On the other hand, State Rep. Debbie Buckner said identifying hospitals that are preparing to install the Ebola treatment units in Atlanta could cause unwarranted apprehension in areas close to facilities that don't receive final clearance from the state to treat infected patients.
In line with the installation of Ebola treatment units in Atlanta, international health officials are struggling to contain the world's worst Ebola outbreak since the disease was identified in 1976. To date, the deadly virus has killed at least 4,950 people.
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