OTTAWA — Health Minister Rona Ambrose says Canada is looking at options for sending medical personnel to West Africa.
But she says no one will be deployed to the epicentre of the global Ebola outbreak until the federal government is convinced there’s a solid evacuation plan.
Ambrose says Canada has an arrangement with the United States, which uses private charter airline Phoenix Air to handle Ebola patients.
She says the problem is that other countries have similar arrangements and the airline, based near Atlanta, can only handle a certain number of flights at a time.
Other flight options in West Africa are limited, and Ambrose says commercial airlines aren’t an option if someone catches Ebola.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has also said his government will not send doctors or nurses to West Africa until it is satisfied all risks are properly managed.