Ebola Scare: Tertiary institutions to extend re-opening dates again

Tertiary institutions across the country are to extend their re-opening dates again in the wake of the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in four West African countries.

According to the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Victor Asare Bampoe, the Ministry of Education has been asked to review the re-opening dates.

The Education Ministry last week directed all tertiary institutions to postpone the 2014/15 academic year by two weeks.

This was to prevent international students from travelling from Ebola affected countries into Ghana.

Speaking at a sensitisation forum on Ebola organised by the Graphic Communications Group Limited in Accra, Dr Bampoe said the Chief of Staff, Mr. Prosper Bani on Monday held an extra-ordinary meeting with members of the Inter-Ministerial Team on Ebola and heads of tertiary institutions at the Flagstaff House.

“Yesterday the outcome was that this [reopening of tertiary institutions] will be reviewed and if necessary it will be extended.”

He added that the Inter-Ministerial Team on Ebola Viral Disease was in discussions with heads of the tertiary institutions to ensure that all tertiary institutions establish holding areas to screen students from the affected countries as part of preventive measures to avoid an outbreak of the Ebola virus in Ghana.

He said there are more than 4000 students from Nigeria alone and that the Education Ministry was to issue directives by Wednesday on whether the re-opening date was to be extended further.

According to a GNA report, there are 10,399 international students in various tertiary institutions in Ghana with 10,020 of the figure coming from African nations.