The Ashanti Regional Health Directorate has described as false claims by sections of the media that there is an outbreak of Ebola in Kumasi.
The directorate also denied claims that an Ebola patient was currently on admission at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
Rumours of the outbreak of the disease were rife in Kumasi last Saturday after some residents of Suame had sighted a group of people suspected to be Liberians whose car had broken down.
The resident, subsequently, hinted the police for the suspected Liberians to be quarantined until their true health status had been known, since Liberia was one of the countries which has been hit by the virus.
In the process, one of the 11 people initially believed to be Liberians was knocked down by a vehicle when he attempted to run away.
The said injured victim was reportedly rushed to the KATH for treatment but he was allegedly given cold reception on arrival because of the suspicion that he was suffering from Ebola.
At a hurriedly organised press conference by a combined team from the health services, the KATH and the Ashanti Regional Security Council, the Ashanti Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Alexis M. Nang-Beifuban, said investigations revealed that the occupants of the vehicle were all Ghanaians resident in Liberia.
“It takes two days for the Ebola virus to show forth,” he said, adding that the people had been travelling for the past 21 days and if they had contracted the disease, it would have been noticed on arrival.
A blood sample of the gentleman who was knocked down by the vehicle has been sent to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research for further tests to establish whether or not the man in question had the virus.
The remaining 10 have been escorted to the Buduburam Camp in the Central Region.
Mr Nang-Beifuban said the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate was ready to handle any outbreak of the disease.
He said plans were afoot to obtain protective clothing for selected health staff, while an isolated place had been secured for people who might be attacked by the virus.