The Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa South, Dr Kingsley Agyemang, has called on the government to urgently assess the readiness of designated isolation and treatment facilities amid concerns over the spread of Ebola in West Africa.
He said Ghana must ensure its health facilities are adequately equipped to respond to a possible outbreak following the confirmation of an Ebola case in Nigeria.
In a press statement issued on Monday, October 26, Dr Agyemang, a member of Parliament’s Health Committee, urged the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service to assess isolation and treatment centres and ensure adequate supplies of personal protective equipment, diagnostic materials and infection prevention resources.
He said the country must strengthen its preparedness before a confirmed case exposes weaknesses in the health system.
“Adequate financial resources must be released promptly to support these interventions rather than waiting until a confirmed case exposes weaknesses in our preparedness,” he said.
Dr Agyemang also called for practical training for frontline healthcare workers, emergency simulation exercises, laboratory preparedness and clear referral protocols to strengthen the country’s response capacity.
He acknowledged the Ministry of Health’s announcement of intensified surveillance and preparedness measures, including enhanced monitoring at Kotoka International Airport, but stressed that preparedness must translate into demonstrable operational readiness.
The MP further urged the government to provide Parliament and the public with details of funds allocated, released and utilised for health emergency preparedness, as well as evidence of improvements made since March 2026.
He said Ghana must not become complacent because no Ebola case had been confirmed in the country as of the latest official Ghanaian update cited in his statement.
“Ghana must not wait for its first confirmed Ebola case before discovering gaps in its public health emergency response system,” he said.