NADMO Boss: My staff are not ready to risk their lives for Ebola

The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has indicated it will not be able to manage any possible outbreak of the Ebola virus in Ghana.

Staff expect to be equipped with the appropriate protective gears to enable them identify and isolate cases of the dreaded disease.

Their request is also to safeguard their lives from being infected, should there be an outbreak in the country.

But the NADMO Coordinator, Kofi Portuphy pointed out that for lack of the required logistics, staff of the organization would be unwilling to risk their lives to attend to Ebola patients.

Mr. Portuphy was speaking at a meeting with the Interior Minister, Mark Woyongo Friday.

The meeting was to find ways of handling potential Ebola cases and disaster management in the country.

On his part, the Interior Minister said the government was in the process of raising funds to provide equipment for all the agencies under the ministry, including NADMO.

Currently, four West African countries including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria and Guinea have been badly affected by the disease, killing several hundreds of their citizens and some international health workers.

West Africa Ebola casualties Up to 14 September
2,630
Ebola deaths – probable, confirmed and suspected
 
 
1,459 Liberia
601 Guinea
562 Sierra Leone
8 Nigeria
Source: WHO
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About the Ebola virus disease (EVD)
Symptoms include high fever, bleeding and central nervous system damage

Spread by body fluids, such as blood and saliva
Current outbreak has mortality rate of about 55%
Incubation period is two to 21 days
There is no proven vaccine or cure
Supportive care such as rehydrating patients who have diarrhoea and vomiting can help recovery

Touching on disaster, Mr. Portuphy stated the NADMO was in the process of reviewing its laws to make it mandatory for the assemblies to use part of their common funds to address disaster and climate change issues.

Moreover, he said the staff were undergoing some capacity building to help them respond quickly to disasters.

Mr. Portuphy urged staff members to engage more in prevention than waiting for disasters to occur and also educate people more on how to prevent disasters.