No Ebola in Ghana: Test on alleged victim proves negative
Medical examination has established that the blood sample taken from the girl who is suspected to have died from Ebola virus proved negative for the virus.
Advertisement
The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research conducted the examination and is currently conducting further medical examinations to ascertain the actual cause of her death.
The 12-year-old girl was referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi from Ejisu, after exhibiting signs of severe fever and bleeding, both of which are symptoms of the dreaded Ebola virus.
Press Conference on the Medical Report
The Health Minister, Ms Sherry Ayittey, announced the test results at a press conference in Accra yesterday after an emergency meeting by all stakeholders.
According to her, the government is on high alert to ensure that the surveillance plan and other measures put in place are being reinforced.
She gave an assurance that stakeholders were in a position to effectively manage the situation in any unlikely event.
“We are working hard to ensure that Ghana is safe from Ebola and also ensure an Ebola-free Ghana,” she added.
Some preventive steps by stakeholders
Ms Ayittey announced that the government was going to establish 56 quarantine centres nationwide as part of preparatory measures to manage suspected and confirmed cases.
Other Trending Stories
She said the capacity of all Port Health staff were being built on the surveillance plan to ensure that they were able to pick up quickly and make prompt notification of the disease.
“This is to ensure that all entry and exit points are safeguarded appreciably,” she added.
According to her, more public awareness raising initiatives would be embarked on to ensure that the public was well informed on the facts of the disease as a preventive measure.
She advised that because the situation was frightening, every suspected case should be reported to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) for immediate attention.
Background
In the March 27, 2014 edition of the Daily Graphic, the GHS announced that it had instituted a national surveillance system towards the early detection of Ebola virus in the country.
That followed the declaration of a high alert for the disease, which is reported to have been crossing borders within the West African sub-region.
Outbreaks of Ebola have been reported particularly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and the disease is said to have claimed over 50 lives so far in the sub-region.
Ghana’s Parliament also called for a national pre-emptive strategy to contain the growing threat of the deadly Ebola virus which had claimed lives in some West African countries.
Ghana is prepared — WHO
The Country Representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Magda Robalo, for her part, said the issue of a suspected case in Ghana had been a very good test for the country.
According to her, the way the suspected case was handled had proved that Ghana was actually on high alert and ready to deal with Ebola, right from prevention to management in any unlikely situation.
She recommended that other effective measures of dealing with the situation should be considered, instead of restriction of travel and trade, among other measures.
Some Public Preventive Measures
The Head of the Disease Surveillance Department of the GHS, Dr Badu Sarkodie, cautioned the public to avoid direct contact with the body fluids of infected persons by using protective clothing such as gloves, goggles and masks.
Advertisement
He said the public should avoid the washing of hands from a common bowl, especially at public gatherings such as funerals.
“The hand must be washed with soap under running water, if possible, after handling patients or bodies of dead patients,” he added.
Dr Sarkodie advised the public to avoid direct contact with bats, chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, antelopes and porcupines found ill or dead in the forest.