Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South and a member of Parliament’s Health Committee, Kingsley Agyemang, has expressed grave concerns over Ghana’s readiness to deal with a possible Ebola outbreak, warning that critical weaknesses still exist within the country’s emergency healthcare response systems.
According to the lawmaker, despite years of investment in disease surveillance and public health response mechanisms, Ghana remains vulnerable, particularly outside the capital city, Accra.
Speaking in an interview, Dr. Agyemang stated that the concentration of emergency response infrastructure in Accra poses a major risk should an outbreak occur in other regions of the country.
“We are not fully prepared as a country. A lot of the preparedness systems are concentrated in Accra, and if there should be an outbreak in another part of the country, we could face serious challenges responding effectively,” he cautioned.
The Health Committee member stressed the urgent need for Ghana to shift from reactive crisis management to proactive preparedness by strengthening healthcare systems before emergencies arise.
“We need to move from reactive measures to proactive preparedness. Disease outbreaks should not be handled only when they happen. The structures must already be in place,” he emphasized.
Dr. Agyemang identified inadequate healthcare infrastructure, insufficient emergency logistics and weak regional response capacity as key challenges undermining Ghana’s ability to respond effectively to infectious disease outbreaks.
He further argued that epidemic preparedness should be treated as a national security and development concern rather than being viewed solely as a healthcare issue.
“This is not just a health issue; it is a national issue. An outbreak affects the economy, education, businesses and the general wellbeing of the country,” he stated.
The MP also called for urgent investment in hospitals, healthcare workers and emergency response teams across all regions to ensure swift intervention during potential outbreaks.
“We must ensure that our hospitals, health workers and emergency response teams across all regions are adequately prepared and resourced,” he added.
Touching on the role of the public, Dr. Agyemang underscored the importance of nationwide education and awareness campaigns to help citizens identify symptoms early and promptly report suspected cases.
“Public awareness is very important. People need to understand preventive measures, early symptoms and the importance of reporting suspected cases quickly,” he noted.
His comments come at a time when concerns over Ebola outbreaks have resurfaced across parts of West Africa, prompting renewed calls for governments to strengthen surveillance systems and emergency healthcare preparedness.
Drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Agyemang maintained that Ghana must build a more resilient and decentralized healthcare system capable of responding rapidly and effectively to future public health emergencies.
