By Kwadwo Duodu
Doctor Fred Anum (not his real name) is among several doctors in the Volta Region who have confidentially confessed that the country’s level of preparedness against the deadly Ebola is putting most of them on edge.
The Doctor who works in one of the six designated facilities for Ebola care in the region said if a patient is brought in infected, his facility has inadequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to cater for the person.
He added that if it becomes two patients at a time, the situation will even become worst. Currently he and other colleagues, nurses and other frontline workers wear gloves to attend to patients but still pray that no patient is brought in carrying the virus. He said, the PPE they have is about six.
One other Doctor in another facility said, he is yet to see the PPE and that he and his nurses might find it difficult treating an infected patient. He added that if more equipment is not available in time, I am afraid we are at risk and we will think of our safety first.
These concerns comes after the Volta Regional Director of Health, Dr. Joseph Teye Nuetey had on several occasions emphasized the preparedness of the region. Some of the measures he claims are public education, designation of six hospitals in the region as treatment centers and training of frontline personnel
Treatment Centers
The treatment centers are Ketu South Government Hospital, Aflao, the Volta Regional Hospital (Trafalgar), Ho, the Jasikan, Hohoe, Sogakofe and Nkwanta hospitals. These six Hospitalet had 20 PPEs shared among them. According to World Health Organisation (WHO) a PPE can be used only once and after that has to be disinfected and well-disposed either by burning.
Briefing members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Defence and Interior in Aflao recently, Dr. Joseph Teye Nuertey omfirmed that the 20 (PPEs) which the region received, were distributed among the Port Health Department, Aflao Government hospital and the Regional hospital in Ho.
He added that due to the inadequacy of the non-contact thermometers, only Port Health officers at the main border, use the infrared gadget to screen travellers, leaving officers at the pedestrian crossing at beat nine to dispense hand sanitizers to persons using that route to rub their hands.
The legislators were on a day?s working visit at the Aflao border in the Ketu-south Municipality of the region to assess Ghana’s preparedness against the deadly Ebola which has struck the West African sub-region.
Inadequate Preparation
The committee members were dismayed by the level or preparation and feared the arrangements were woefully inadequate to safeguard the nation against the deadly Ebola.
The Committee Chairman and MP for Ablekuma South, Fritz Baffour feared that ?though we are totally aware of the Ebola menace and the possibility of it landing on our shores we?ve not done enough to protect our frontiers.?
He said the situation was more disturbing because their tour of other major borders in the Western, Upper East and Upper West regions revealed similar conditions. He therefore assured that pressure will be mounted on the relevant authorities to speed up the release of logistics to help frontline officers safeguard the country from the deadly Ebola virus.
The Aflao border is Ghana’s major exit and entry point on the east and shares boundary with Togo. Currently, three West African countries are hit by the deadly Ebola, thus Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. Nigeria and Senegal which recorded cases have successfully contained the siuation thereby having no case.
Border Security Challenges
Sector commanders of the security agencies at the border, who took committee members round the agencies offices and the stretch along the beats, complained of inadequate personnel, infrastructural facilities, and lack of operational logistics including transport as challenges hindering their smooth operations.
They also called for the fencing and construction of the road along the border stretch, as done by the Togolese to minimize the numerous unapproved routes and ensure effective patrol.
The Volta Regional Minister, Helen Ntoso who accompanied the committee disclosed that, plans are in place to construct a road along the border but noted that, the road will affect some farms along the border so negotiations have started to enable the farmers harvest their produce before the project takes off.
Committee members also expressed worry about the porous nature of the border and called for a wholistic security assessment of the country?s borders to enhance safety and security of Ghanaians.
