KATH establishes isolation wards for Ebola

The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), the nation’s second largest referral facility, has set up an isolation ward at its polyclinic to deal with any suspected Ebola case.

All the clinical Directorates have also been tasked to create and designate one of their side wards as emergency isolation rooms where in-patients, showing symptoms of the deadly viral haemorrahagic fever could be quickly moved and quarantined.

Dr Denis Odai Laryea, Head of Public Health at KATH, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview that, the measures formed part of the response initiatives they were implementing.

He said sanitizers had been placed at the various wards and consulting rooms to enable nurses, doctors and other medical staff to thoroughly sterilize their hands after treating patients.

These would soon be extended to vantage points at the hospital to assist patients and visitors to also clean their hands after visiting the facility.

In addition, steps had been taken to supply protective clothes and equipment to all the staff, as part of measures to protect them from catching the virus.

Dr Laryea said the hospital had begun a sensitization durbar to deepen the knowledge of the health professionals of the symptoms and what to do to avoid getting infected.

Again they are being trained on how to properly handle suspected patients to prevent coming into contact with fluids and other bodily substances of such patients.

Dr Laryea noted that the Ebola disease was preventable, and that, all that was required was for people to take the necessary precautions and to heed health education.

He said the hospital was making adequate preparations to effectively respond to any emergency.