Challenges in Implementing Ebola Protection Procedures and Personal Protective Equipment Training in a French Maternity Unit
The current Ebola crisis has been described as the “worst outbreak in history” and even though there is an unlikely chance that the epidemic will spread to France, emergency planners have taken this eventuality into consideration. In our maternity unit in Paris, midwife managers were allocated the task of implementing emergency planning into reality and as a result were faced with several challenges that came from various sources. This article discusses problems faced in adapting procedures, training personnel, and testing whether our procedures were effective in preventing Ebola virus disease in our maternity unit. From practical experience, it can be concluded that procedures functioned well and that staff were prepared and well equipped to face this challenging scenario.