Ebola fear sparks fresh concerns over Ghana’s weak health emergency systems
Fresh concerns are mounting over the readiness to handle a possible Ebola outbreak after a member of Parliament’s Health Committee warned that the country’s emergency response systems remain dangerously inadequate despite recent public assurances from health authorities.
Dr Kingsley Agyemang, who serves on the Parliamentary Health Committee, has openly questioned the country’s preparedness framework, arguing that the current Ebola response strategy appears heavily concentrated in Accra while many district and regional health facilities remain vulnerable and under-equipped.
His comments come at a time when several African countries have heightened surveillance following renewed Ebola outbreaks in parts of Central and East Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the World Health Organization recently declared the situation a Public Health Emergency of International Concern after hundreds of suspected infections and dozens of deaths were recorded.
Although Ghana has not recorded any Ebola cases, health experts continue to warn that increased regional movement and cross-border travel leave countries within West Africa exposed to potential imported infections, similar to fears experienced during previous Ebola outbreaks that affected parts of the continent between 2014 and 2016.
Speaking during an interview on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily programme, Dr. Agyemang said recent preparedness demonstrations by the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health do not accurately reflect the country’s true national readiness.
According to him, authorities appear to be focusing preparedness assessments on a few selected health facilities within Accra while failing to adequately assess the capabilities of district and regional facilities outside the capital.
“We have been following keenly what is happening across Africa and what the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service has been presenting. But what we have seen is very unsatisfactory,” he stated.
Dr. Agyemang warned that healthcare preparedness cannot be judged based solely on a handful of facilities in the capital city, stressing that infectious disease outbreaks can emerge anywhere in the country.
He questioned how prepared health facilities in remote districts would be if an Ebola case were detected outside Accra.
“Ghana is not just Accra. How prepared is the health system at the district level through the regional level? What happens if an Ebola case emerges in places like Sege or Ada?” he asked.
The MP cautioned that weaknesses in surveillance systems, emergency logistics, isolation infrastructure, and rapid response mechanisms could become exposed if the country experiences an outbreak in areas lacking adequate medical resources.
He therefore called for urgent investment in district-level healthcare infrastructure, staff training, laboratory systems, and emergency response coordination to strengthen Ghana’s overall epidemic preparedness capacity.
The concerns raised by Dr. Agyemang have revived memories of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which Ghana faced challenges relating to healthcare infrastructure, protective equipment shortages, and unequal distribution of medical resources across regions.
Public health analysts have consistently warned that many district hospitals and community health facilities still struggle with inadequate isolation centres, limited intensive care capacity, and weak emergency disease surveillance systems.
Despite the criticism, the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service maintain that surveillance and screening activities have been intensified at health facilities and entry points across the country as part of precautionary measures to safeguard public health.
Authorities insist that response systems are being strengthened while monitoring continues across the borders and healthcare facilities amid growing regional concerns over the spread of infectious diseases.
However, Dr. Agyemang insists that without nationwide preparedness and stronger district-level response systems, Ghana could face serious challenges if confronted with a major Ebola outbreak.
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