Government distributes Ebola protective gear

The government has acquired 9,000 sets of Ebola Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to prevent and deal with any possible outbreak of the world deadliest virus.

The equipment includes sets of overall, disposable aprons, disposal masks, surgical gloves, safety goggles and temperature gun in varied sizes.

The Minister of Health and chairman of the Ministerial Oversight Committee on Ebola, Dr Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah, presented the equipment on Thursday to representatives of regional and teaching hospitals as well as allied health institutions.

He said the equipment was to assure the people of the nation’s preparedness towards Ebola prevention and combating.

He said the government was stepping up public education and strengthening screening at the borders and entry points in addition to boost effective case management.

Dr Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyira, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, expressed joy that the equipment had come at the opportune time since the Ebola virus was “very virulent” and that adequate preparatory work was essential.

He said work on isolation centres in Tamale, Tema and Kumasi augmented by the delivery of PPE demonstrated government commitment to fighting the disease.

Mr Simmons Yussif Kewura, the Public Relations Officer of the National Ambulance Service, told the GNA that 133 of its staff, Emergency Medical Technicians, had already undergone the first session of Ebola prevention and management training.

He said 13 ambulances had been distributed to the regions and treatment centres to carry any suspected case to health facilities and blood samples to Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.

He said grounded ambulances would also be repaired and converted to straightforward ones specifically meant to carry patients and blood samples of Ebola suspected cases.