Watch an excerpt of Dr. Atul Gawande on his new book, “Being Mortal”. The interview airs in full on Thursday’s PBS NewsHour.
In the wake of the first confirmed death of a patient diagnosed with Ebola in the United States, some people are asking whether all U.S. hospitals are adequately prepared to deal with other potential Ebola cases.
Surgeon and public health researcher, Dr. Atul Gawande, told PBS NewsHour chief arts, culture and society correspondent Jeffrey Brown that the lapses in the Dallas case may have led to much higher awareness and stepped up precautions that will improve the odds of avoiding an outbreak in the U.S.
Paying attention to routine steps like the use of hospital gowns and the washing of hands are proving essential to head off the spread of Ebola, said Gawande, a professor at Harvard Medical School and a surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital who’s worked on creating safety checklists for doctors and hospitals.
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