The Chief Executive Officer of National Ambulance Service (NAS), Prof Ahmed Nuhu Zakaria, has disclosed that Ghana has a weak emergency response system to deal with an outbreak of Ebola.
According to him, the current emergency response mechanism for Ebola appeared to be reactive in nature, which he stated, called for concern and pragmatic solution.
Speaking at a two-day national conference and training programme on EVD for 130 ambulance service officers in Kumasi, ProfZakaria stated that the country ought to be more proactive as the spread of EVD had been accelerated by high cross border movement.
The Ebola virus disease, formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a severe often fatal illness, with a case fatality rate of up to 90 percent.
There are no licensed specific treatments or vaccine available for use in people or animals.
The purpose of the occasion was to inform the staff about the evolution of the EVD outbreak in West Africa, the characteristics and modes of transmission of the disease as well as the type of protocol that the country has developed, is developing or is changing related to any response or requirements.
There are no licensed specific treatments or vaccine available for use in people or animals.
�The Ebola epidemic in West Africa is a tragedy. But more than that the response to it has been a big challenge,� Prof Zakaria observed, and added, �It is a classic case where early action could have saved lives and money, yet the world dithered.�
He intimated that Ebola cases in Liberia continued to double every two to three weeks, with the latest worst case estimated to be 1.4 Million cases in Liberia and Sierra Leone by late January, according to the United States� Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
He again lamented over the poor emergency care in at the various health institutions across the country, and that the situation had been compounded by the threat of the Ebola virus disease.
The NAS CEO said efforts to control the outbreaks were being hampered by deep seated beliefs and cultural practices due to the current multi-focal nature of the outbreak and the involvement of urban areas.
Dr Augustine E. Sagoe (BMS), a World Certified Expert/ Ebola Consultant, took participants through strategic approach to pre-hospital care of the contagious patient as well as Ghana�s preparation towards the management and containment of any EVD.
According to him, the World Health Organisation�s (WHO�s) report of EVD casualties as at September 14, 2014 indicated that 2,630 loss of lives since the outbreak of the disease.
He disclosed that Liberia alone had recorded 1,459 deaths followed by Guinea with 601 deaths, 562 deaths in Sierra Leone and eight deaths in Nigeria.
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