Ebola Alert: ‘No need to press the panic button’ – Health Minister Akandoh

Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh says Ghana has not recorded a case of Ebola, stressing there is no cause for alarm.

Speaking during an inspection tour at the Kotoka International Airport, the Minister said his visit is to ascertain the level of preparedness after earlier instructions he gave in May.

“To start with, let me make it emphatically clear that Ghana has not recorded any case of Ebola. There is no need, absolutely no need, to press the panic buttons. That notwithstanding, we have put a lot of measures in place,” he stated.

According to the Minister, the current strain in circulation which he referred to as the “budumbudju strain” has no vaccine and no specific treatment, hence Ghana’s best defence is prevention.

“This strain of Ebola, they call it budumbudju strain of Ebola, has no vaccine, no specific treatment. And so our best defence is to keep our gate tight. Early detection, contact tracing, so that we will be able to contain if or when we record any case,” he said.

Hon. Akandoh disclosed that his directives have been implemented including the installation of thermal scanners at the airport and the rollout of electronic declaration forms for arriving passengers.

“One, I instructed for the installation of the thermal scanners. And today, as you have all seen for yourself, it is in place. I also have instructed for the electronic declaration forms,” he noted.

He added that the forms have been amended after inputs and he will soon issue a statement making it mandatory for all passengers travelling to Ghana to fill them before arrival to aid tracing.

On testing and treatment, the Minister said Ghana’s lab capacity has been expanded.

“I even thought that we had only three labs, but just this morning, my Director General tells me that we are adding more to make it five. So when it comes to testing, we are also ready, and Noguchi is there, KCCR is there, the reference lab is also there.”

He added that the Infectious Disease Centre is also ready for isolation and treatment.

“We are ready. 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.”

Responding to questions on regional coordination and concerns that Ghana is the only country in the sub-region yet to record a case, the Minister described that claim as inaccurate.

“It is inaccurate to say that within the sub region, we are the only country that has not recorded any case. I don’t know of Togo. I don’t know of Cote d’Ivoire,” he said.

He also stated that coordination is ongoing at all levels with Africa CDC, WHO, Health Ministers and Directors-General of Health Services including a scheduled Zoom meeting of Health Ministers.

On funding for surveillance, the Minister said government won’t put a cap on spending.

“As and when necessary. Whatever we need to do. There is no specific amount. If there is a need to put in 1,000 Ghana Cedis, we’ll do so. If there is a need for us to go to 2,000 Ghana Cedis, we’ll do so. It’s not a straitjacket issue. As and when they need the PPEs, we must pay for them.”

He stressed enforcement must apply to all travelers including VIPs and that hand sanitization and other protocols must be politely but strictly insisted upon.

“Diseases are not respectful of anybody. So both at the VIP level and everywhere, anybody who arrives must go through the processes.”

On land borders, he said some level of screening is ongoing but will be scaled up with deployment of more staff and logistics.

The Minister insisted that the country is fully ready to contain the Ebola disease. 

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