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Three of the suspected cases of meningitis referred to the Ridge Regional Hospital have tested negative.
As at yesterday, only one of the five cases of suspected meningitis reported in the Greater Accra Region had tested positive with meningococcal meningitis.
The hospital is, however, awaiting the test results of the last patient on admission from the laboratory, Dr Emmanuel Sorfenyo, acting medical director of the hospital, said.
He hinted that the confirmed case was referred to the Ridge Hospital from the Ashaiman Policlinic but, “she is responding to treatment and she is doing very well.”
Dr Srofenyo disclosed that “we have put in place certain measures like posting case definition in the emergency so once the patients come in, the nurses presume a suspected case they are quickly moved to an isolated place we have created to be treated.
We have also set aside medication for the treatment of meningitis so the patient gets to be treated with or without a national health insurance card.”
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The acting medical director of the Ridge Hospital also mentioned that the staff had received orientation on managing such cases taking into consideration their safety and protection from getting infected with the disease.
He further assured the public of the readiness of the hospital in handling the cases, adding that there is no need for panic among the public.
About 50 deaths have so far been recorded following the outbreak of meningitis in the Tain District of the Brong Ahafo Region where the current outbreak was first recorded.
Meningococcal meningitis is caused by Group A meningococcus, which was accounting for an estimated 80 to 85 percent of all meningitis belt in the country until mass vaccination was carried out by the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in the Northern Region where it was common.
However, this strain of meningitis has surfaced in some parts of the country, including the Greater Accra Region.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri
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