Akandoh says Ghana ready to respond to possible Ebola outbreak

The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, says Ghana has put measures in place to detect and respond to a possible Ebola outbreak, urging the public to remain calm.

He gave the assurance during a visit to Kotoka International Airport on Wednesday, October 28, where he outlined measures including thermal scanners, electronic health declaration forms, laboratory testing and isolation facilities.

Mr Akandoh said thermal scanners had been installed at the airport to screen incoming passengers, while electronic health declaration forms had been reviewed to support surveillance and contact tracing in the event of a detected case.

“We are praying we don’t record any case, but if we do, we are ready to do the needful. So we should not be afraid,” he said.

He said plans were underway to require passengers arriving in Ghana through the country’s airports to complete the electronic forms.

According to him, the information collected would help health authorities assess passengers and trace contacts more effectively if a suspected or confirmed case emerged.

Mr Akandoh also said Ghana was strengthening its laboratory capacity to support the testing and diagnosis of suspected Ebola cases.

He cited the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR) and the national reference laboratory as facilities that could support the country’s response.

He added that an infectious disease treatment centre was available to support the isolation and management of patients should an outbreak occur.