The Hanoi Department of Health has pushed for closer coordination among authorised healthcare agencies in the city to prevent the deathly Ebola virus from entering Vietnam via Noi Bai International Airport.

A working team from the department was also sent to the airport on October 15 to inspect the monitoring efforts on the ground.

The department asked the Centre for International Health and Quarantine of Hanoi to tighten its supervision over visitors arriving at the airport, especially those from Ebola-affected areas.

Meanwhile, all healthcare centres were asked to get ready to provide treatment to Ebola-suspected patients, while preparing measures to prevent the transmission of the disease to healthcare staff.

Since August 14, the Centre for International Health and Quarantine of Hanoi monitored 420,000 passengers arriving at the airport on 2,755 international flights, including 20 from Ebola-affected areas who continue to be held in medical quarantine at home for at least 21 days.

So far, no cases of Ebola infections have been reported in Vietnam .

The Ebola virus is spread via contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, such as sweat and blood.

The current outbreak has so far claimed the lives of 3,439 people out of 7,478 cases reported across the West African countries Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal, according to the latest World Health Organisation figures.-VNA