Ghana is among countries that still among 15 countries that has the high risk of contracting Ebola Viral Diseases infections ( EVD) because the in and out movement of people across her porous borders still persist.
This is because of the unapproved routes and the checking systems in the transport sector are weak. There are about 54 approved routes and 14 designated entrants points (PoEs) in Ghana.
Public Health Specialist with the Ghana Health Service who is also Ghana’s Head of surveillance, Dr Franklin Asiedu Bekoe stated this when he presented the state of Ebola in Ghana at a day’s workshop for journalists from the ten regions in Ghana in Accra.
It was organized by the Media Foundation for West Africa with funding from UNESCO. Dr Franklin explained that no country can prevent the effect of virus entrants but they can only detect it.
Over 2000 cases have been recorded with 24 dead so far. The Regional stigma in the sub region according to Dr Franklin still exists and countries need to work extract hard to eradicate it. He said it exposes the weakness and fragility mult-sectorial public health system in the subregion.
As of Monday November 23, total cases around the world were 28,598, with Guinea still leading with 3,804 cases.
First reported ebola case in December, 2013 WHO declared Ebola outbreak in West Africa as Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), August 2014. The government of Ghana has set up an Inter-Ministerial Committee to harmonize and monitor implementation of sectorial plans.Health, Defence, Communication, Interior and Local Government were also established.
The Ministry of Health after WHO declaration set up a National Technical Coordinating Committee (NTCC). Health Sector preparedness and response plan Establishment of the Incident Command Structure (Emergency Operations Centre-(EOC) was also adhere to.
Three hundred and a eighty (380) personnel were trained at national and regional levels, 8,867 trained at district level 22,000 CBS volunteers as well as Port Health staff.
He recommended that Ghanaians use sanitizers, which have less than 70 % alcohol concentration.
Case Management
Tamale EVD treatment center
According to Dr Franklin, 12-bed Ebola treatment centre has been set up in Tema Hospital, 20 bed infectious Disease Centre under construction in Tamale with regional holding places are various levels of construction.
Five hundred and thirteen (513) healthcare workers have also been trained in all regions on EVD case management . WAHO helped to trained 166 Volunteers and Ghana contributed 42 of the 116 volunteers out of 6 countries 42 Volunteers completed Mission in Liberia and Sierra Leone
Gaps
The major gaps Dr Franklin said was yet to complete Treatment Centres and inadequate simulation exercises and inadequate training at district levels.
To address this, Dr Franklin recommended update of the National Preparedness, response Plan Undertake simulation exercises at the national and regional levels involving all thematic areas Complete treatment centres Inadequate training at district levels was the surest way to deal with the problem.
Ebola is like a pregnancy, no country can’t hide, Dr Bakoe added. The Ebola disease, he said, still has no treatment and the only hope for the Ebola patients is what he called supportive therapy.
