The Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, says Ghanaians have no reason to fear an Ebola outbreak as the country has activated robust systems to stop the virus from entering and spreading.
He gave the assurance when he inspected measures at the Kotoka International Airport on Wednesday, October 28.
According to him, government has put in place a full prevention and response plan, including airport screening, digital surveillance, lab readiness and holding centres for suspected cases.
Mr. Akandoh said thermal cameras have already been mounted at the airport to check the temperature of arriving passengers, while the digital health forms for travellers have been upgraded to improve screening and make it easier to track contacts if needed.
He noted that all passengers coming through Ghana’s airports will be required to fill the revised electronic declaration form to enable health officials to profile them and act quickly if an infection is suspected.
“We are praying we don’t get a single case, but if we do, we have what it takes to respond appropriately. There is no cause for alarm,” he stressed.
The Minister added that the country’s testing capacity is being boosted, with key facilities like the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR) and the National Public Health Reference Lab on standby to test any suspected samples.
He also disclosed that a dedicated infectious disease facility is available to isolate and treat any patient should the need arise.
