An Ebola scare hit the 37 Military Hospital in Accra yesterday following the admission of two Ghanaian soldiers who recently returned from peacekeeping duties in Mali.
The two soldiers are currently in isolation at the Bandoh Ward A and although their blood samples are yet to be tested at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), medical personnel and some patients on admission appeared alarmed when the Daily Graphic visited the hospital.
Information picked up indicated that the two patients were admitted last Tuesday, but suspicion of their being infected by the Ebola virus was raised yesterday.
Tight-lipped staff
The Daily Graphic also learnt that some patients had been moved from their wards, while some medical staff stood in groups to discuss the issue.
Although most of the medical staff and other officials were tight-lipped over the issue, a doctor who spoke on condition of anonymity said it was yet to be confirmed if the soldiers had contracted the disease.
It was observed that men in military uniform and wearing protective equipment were disinfecting the wards.
Blood sample
The Deputy Director of Information and Press Relations of the hospital, Lieutenant Commander Andy La-Anyane, told the Daily Graphic that the blood samples of the two soldiers had been sent to the NMIMR for further laboratory investigations.
He said the soldiers were currently not showing any signs of the disease, adding that “we are waiting for the results from Noguchi”.
He explained that it was part of precautionary measures for troops who returned from countries hit by the disease to be quarantined for medical investigations.
Lt Commander La-Anyane said that was because the Military High Command did not want soldiers who returned from such countries to “go back to the barracks and probably infect other people if they had contracted the disease”.
He stated that the command would not hesitate to put the information out if the sample tests turned out to be positive.
Source: Graphic Online