The Central Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Mrs. Alberta Biritwum-Nyarko, has urged health workers across the region to heighten surveillance, strengthen preparedness and remain vigilant in the fight against the Ebola virus.
She described the reported outbreak in Nigeria as a wake-up call for health managers and frontline workers in Ghana, particularly in the Central Region, to intensify preparedness and develop effective response plans to contain any potential outbreak.
Dr. Biritwum-Nyarko made the call during her ongoing supportive visits to the Effutu Municipal Health Directorate, Winneba Municipal Hospital, Trauma and Specialist Hospital, Gomoa East District Health Directorate and St. Gregory Catholic Hospital.
The visits form part of engagements initiated by the Regional Director to assess healthcare delivery, identify operational challenges and provide support to health facilities across the region.
She was accompanied by members of the Senior Management Committee (SMC), including the Deputy Director of Public Health, Dr. Jojo Cobbinah; Deputy Director of Clinical Care, Dr. Mrs. Agnes Achiamaa Anane; Regional Public Relations Officer, Mr. Georges Fritz Doe; and Deputy Regional Public Relations Officer, Mr. Erasmus Solomon.
Strengthening Public Education and Outbreak Preparedness
Dr. Biritwum-Nyarko emphasized the importance of public education in preventing and controlling infectious disease outbreaks, noting that inadequate awareness and misinformation could undermine efforts to contain the spread of the Ebola virus.
She therefore urged health facilities to intensify public education on Ebola and other infectious diseases while ensuring that staff remain alert to suspected cases and comply with established surveillance and reporting protocols.
She also encouraged the public to take hand hygiene seriously and practice other recommended infection prevention and control measures.
The facilities visited assured the Regional Director and her team of their readiness to respond to potential outbreaks.
The Medical Director of St. Gregory Catholic Hospital, Dr. Laryea Yemoh, disclosed that the facility had designated an area specifically for managing suspected cases requiring isolation. He however appealed for the deployment of additional medical officers to the region to meet growing healthcare needs.
Engagement With Frontline Workers
During engagements with the various Municipal and District Health Management Teams and facility managers, Dr. Biritwum-Nyarko acknowledged the operational challenges confronting health facilities and commended health workers for their dedication.
Key concerns raised included inadequate staffing, shortages of equipment and logistics, and increasing workload on health personnel. The challenges, particularly the need for some staff to work double shifts, were noted as contributing to staff fatigue and affecting service delivery.
The Regional Director encouraged facility managers to continue exploring practical measures to address operational gaps while ensuring efficient use of available resources.
She also called on Human Resource Managers to strengthen monitoring of staff on study leave to ensure compliance with approved arrangements. She expressed concern about instances where staff reportedly failed to attend their approved programmes of study, resulting in audit infractions and issues requiring attention by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
Heads of the various facilities, including Dr. Douglas Amponsah of Winneba Municipal Hospital, Dr. Paulette Brown, Winneba Municipal Director of Health Service, Mr. Felix Adipare, Gomoa East District Director of Health Service, and Dr. Nathaniel Tetteh, Clinical Coordinator of the Trauma and Specialist Hospital, expressed appreciation to the Regional Director and her team for the visits.
They described the engagements as timely and helpful, noting that the visits provided an opportunity to share challenges directly with regional management.
The supportive visits will continue across other districts and health facilities in the Central Region as part of the Regional Directorate’s commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery and supporting frontline workers.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme