An advertisement for donations to fight Ebola in Africa is displayed on a bus stop near the apartment building
An advertisement for donations to fight Ebola in Africa is displayed on a bus stop near the apartment building of the nurse who contracted Ebola, in Alcorcon, outside Madrid, October 8, 2014. Reuters

Australia is now looking for field hospitals set up by Western countries in West Africa as possible treatment centres in case Australian healthcare workers contract Ebola. The Guardian reports that the Abbott government is considering the quarantine rules that will apply to volunteer workers if they return to Australia.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has previously refused to send Australian medical teams to the Ebola-infected countries because there was no guarantee that healthcare workers will be able to get out in the event they get infected. Reports said Health Minister Peter Dutton has recently indicated that the government will consider responding to calls of sending medical experts to Africa.

The Australian Medical Association has slammed the government for its lack of appropriate response to Ebola. AMA President Brian Owler compared the efforts of Australia to that of the UK and U.S. whose medical teams are building field hospitals to be used by international healthcare workers if they have Ebola. Owler has urged the government to strike a deal with its allies already in Africa.

Dutton reiterated that Australia also has the capability to set up field hospitals in West Africa. He said the government is in negotiations with the British government about the use of its ground facilities. Based on his understanding, Dutton revealed an allocation of 12 beds for the use of the Australian medical team should plans push through.

Meanwhile, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has told parliament that the government will temporarily hold its immigration and humanitarian programme from Ebola-infected countries. In a report by The Daily Telegraph, Morrison declared this will ensure all previous humanitarian "entrants" have undergone three separate health checks before they left. The government has required permanent visa holders who have not yet arrived in the country to be quarantined for 21 days before entering the country.

The Australian Labour Party has moved to pressure the Abbott government, through a parliamentary motion, to join international efforts to control the spread of the virus in west Africa. The opposition believes Australia should not wait for virus to arrive in the country but contribute in efforts to contain it at its source by sending health workers.