Western Region puts in measures against Ebola

Dr Emmanuel Tinkorang, Western Regional Director of Health, on Monday asked the public not to panic over the Ebola disease because it is one hundred per cent preventable.

People must avoid contact with those infected with the disease, use protective clothing as well as eating the meat of fruit bats which are natural carriers of the virus that cause the disease, wild animals and corpses, he said.

Dr Tinkorang was speaking at Regional briefing in Sekondi on the Ebola disease and the measures that have been put in place to handle possible outbreak of the disease in the region in Sekondi.

He said internal bleeding is the last stage of the disease with initial symptoms such as weakness, sore throat, diarrhoea and vomiting.

Dr Tinkorang said it takes between 2 to 21 days for the virus to incubate after transmission.

“People must avoid contact with the human fluid of infected persons and washing of hands with soap would also help in checking the spread of the disease,” he said.

Dr Tinkorang urged the public especially households to take sick persons to health facilities for treatment.

He said Regional Directorate of Ghana Health Service, has put a Rapid Response Plan in place to handle any possible outbreak and provide protective clothing and equipment for medical personnel who would handle Ebola cases.

Dr Tinkorang said screening points have been established at all the approved entry points in the region and at the port contingency plans have been put in place at Half Assini, Shama and Jewi Wharf.

He said this calls for collaborative efforts to check the flow of people from neighbouring countries through unapproved routes in the region and asked fishermen who go on fishing expedition to countries that have recorded cases of Ebola to report serious sicknesses at hospitals.

Dr Tinkorang said sick people suspected to be carrying the Ebola virus would be quarantined for 21 days.

He said meanwhile two cholera cases from Greater Accra Region were recorded in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis at the weekend and the patients have been admitted at the Kwesimintsim Hospital

He said people could prevent cholera by observing environmental cleanliness, eat their meals hot and thoroughly wash their hands with soap.

Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, Regional Minister, said environmental cleanliness is one of the reasons why the Takoradi Central Market is recently decongested and noted that selling food over gutters and toilets is a health hazard.