Months after government released funds for the construction of an Ebola Isolation Centre in the Ashanti Region, the facility is yet to be constructed.
Three isolation centres were to be completed before August 2014 at the Tema General Hospital, to serve the southern sector, the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, to handle cases for the middle belt and the Tamale Teaching Hospital, to serve the northern sector.
Government subsequently released about GHC100, 000 each to all regional hospitals in the country for the projects.
[contextly_sidebar id=”kFVXaOmnz5u2zAaUwc6IEMTOPlp5YZtf”]Speaking to Citi News, Dr. Joseph Oduro, Deputy Director of the Ghana Health Service in the Ashanti Region, said the one to be constructed at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital had delayed because management of the hospital claims they don’t have a parcel of land for the project.
He added that the regional health directorate has constructed a four bed isolation centre in the region to cater for such issues.
“It is not up to the World Health Organization (WHO) standard but at least that is what we are able to do for ourselves while waiting for what the government promised,” he added.
Dr Oduro said they have earmarked another area for the isolation centre to be constructed.
“We have three alternatives; one is the Komfo Anokye, and then one is the Sewuah regional hospital land, and Ampatia. So these are the three places that we’ve earmarked but the Ampatia area we learnt there is a lot of encroachers and whilst people are staying there, we can’t use the area,” he indicated.
Dr. Oduro also assured that the Ghana Health Service has trained its regional staff to respond professionally to any case, adding that such training exercises will be replicated for its staff at the district levels.
Meanwhile, over 4500 persons have been killed by the Ebola disease in Guinea, Seirra Leone and Liberia.
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By: Godwin Allotey Akweiteh/citifmonline.com/Ghana