Ghanaian authorities have banned all flights from Nigeria and other West African countries over concerns of an Ebola spread, the Premium Times of Nigeria has reported.
In an article posted Thursday August 1, Premium Times reports that Charles Asare, Managing Director of the Ghana Airport Company said the ban was part of elaborate emergency response being implemented to contain the deadly Ebola virus.
Flights from Nigeria were banned alongside those from Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, according to the report.
While hundreds have died from Ebola in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, the only confirmed case of the virus in Nigeria involved a Liberian man who died in Lagos on arrival from Monrovia last week.
The Nigerian government said those who were in contact with the man were being quarantined.
No additional case has been established in the country, the government insists.
Despite the lone case, Nigeria has maintained routine flights to top destinations in Europe and the United States- although a few countries have issued travel advice to Nigeria.
Ghana is the first country to slam a travel ban on Nigeria over Ebola scare.
Ghana’s Health Ministry said efforts are underway to create Ebola treatment centres across the country.
The centres will be located in Accra, Kumasi and Tamale, reports say.
Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Mensah, in an interview on Citi FM a few days ago admonished people to be patient because the government was doing everything possible to protect them from the virus.
He further rubbished claims of a patient in Kumasi contracting the diseases; saying there is no confirmed case in the country yet.
Doctors in Ghana’s biggest hospitals, Korle Bu and KATH in Kumasi have clearly stated their intention to avoid patients who turn up with suspected cases of Ebola..
Dr. Dodi Abdallah of the Korle Bu Teaching hospital is reported as saying Doctors will run from patients who show symptoms of the disease.
