Strengthen security at entry points in support of Ebola response programme
The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Victor Asare Bampoe, has called for the strengthening of security at the entry points in the western part of the country in support of the national Ebola preparedness response programme.
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He said the Western Region was vital in the fight against Ebola since it had many porous entry points which could make it easy for anyone to enter the country with the disease.
He pointed out that Ghana should not be content with the fact that it had not recorded any case of Ebola yet but rather remain vigilant.
Dr Bampoe made the call after inspecting Ebola isolation facilities at the Half Assini Government Hospital, the Elubo Polyclinic, the Effia Nkwanta Government Hospital and the Jaway Wharf Community-based Health Planning and Service (CHPS) compound, all in the Western Region, recently.
Purpose of the visit
The visit was to afford the deputy minister, who is the head of the National Ebola Emergency Operations Team, the opportunity to know at first hand preparations that had been put in place at the various health facilities in the region.
He was accompanied by some members of the team, including Prof William Ampofo of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), Dr Samuel Kaba of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and Ms Ruth Arthur of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).
The rest were Mr Michael Adjabeng of the GHS, Mr George Ashie of the National Ambulance Service (NAS) and Mr Robert Agyarko, a consultant.
The visits
At the Half Assini Government Hospital, Dr Bampoe was taken round the Ebola isolation centre which was almost completed.
The Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr Jonathan Mensah, who took the minister round, said the facility was currently relying on a makeshift tent as an isolation centre for cases that may be reported at the hospital.
At the Elubo Polyclinic, the isolation centre was in a dilapidated condition and so the deputy minister recommended that it be evaluated and rehabilitated by the Western Regional Health Directorate as soon as possible.
At the Effia Nkwanta Government Hospital in Takoradi, he commended the Medical Director, Paul Kwaw Ntodi, and his team for their preparedness efforts.
He was taken round the hospital’s temporary isolation centre which had a staff changing room, staff toilet, an outpatient department and a second changing room for staff after they had treated patients at the OPD.
The deputy minister said the facility met world-class standards for isolation facilities.
The only place visited which had no isolation facility was the Jaway Wharf CHPS compound.
According to a health officer at the facility, Ms Deborah Hagan, although the facility took care of people who came from both the Ghana and the Cote d’Ivoire sides of the border, there was no holding facility in case there was a suspected case of Ebola.
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