The Ghana Armed Forces is to screen all personnel returning from peace-keeping missions abroad to ensure none of them is infected with the Ebola virus.
According to the leadership of the Ghana Armed Forces, it has put in place measures including a standby medical team to monitor the returnee peace keepers when they arrive in the country.
Some peacekeepers on mission in Liberia are expected to return back home next week after completing their missions.
Liberia is one of the West African countries with a prevalence rate of the Ebola disease which has claimed several lives.
Countries in the sub-region are therefore putting in place the necessary measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
Ghana’s Health Ministry and the Health Service have both given indications they are prepared to battle the disease if any is recorded in Ghana.
The Interior Ministry has also stated that unlike Liberia which has closed its borders, it will be unable to do same despite calls by the general public to do so.
It said it will only take that decision if the Ghana Immigration Service sanctions it.
Ghanaians are apprehensive about the Ebola disease especially after alarming reports from neighboring Nigeria suggests that the disease is spreading.
But speaking to Citi News, the Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Armed Forces, Colonel Aggrey Quarshie said they are on red alert to ensure all the men are in good condition.
He explained that the military officers will be screened before they leave Liberia and before entering Ghana as well.
Col. Quarshie disclosed that the United Nations (UN) “is conducting the screening of all personnel who are leaving the mission and on arrival, they will be met by the Armed Forces medical team who will also do random sampling of the personnel.”
He also indicated that all the medical stations across the country have been alerted to be on standby to monitor personnel who will report any signs and symptoms of the virus.
According to him, when troops usually return from peacekeeping missions, they are given disembarkation leave “but this time around, it has been put on hold for a period of about three weeks.”
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @osamidan