JACKSON, Mississippi (AP) — The University of Mississippi Medical Center is renovating a vacant building to serve as an isolation and treatment unit in the event of a confirmed or probable Ebola case in Mississippi.
UMMC officials said in a news release Monday that the stand-alone structure is removed from other patient-care facilities on the Jackson campus.
UMMC officials say patients can be sequestered and physically isolated the case from the rest of campus.
The renovations will take two weeks.
State health officials say the chances of an actual case appearing in the state are still extremely low but developing a specialized unit where well-trained staff can safely care for a patient is crucial.
Several rooms in the building are being adapted as a bio-containment unit that can accommodate up to two patients.
