Forty-two (42) health workers who were sent to West African countries severely hit by the Ebola virus have arrived safely in Ghana Saturday evening.
The Health workers who spent three months in Liberia and Sierra Leone were quarantined in Ivory Coast for 21 days to ensure they were free from the deadly virus.
Deputy Health Minister, Dr. Victor Bampoe who confirmed the arrival to Joy News said a short welcome party would be held for the health workers he described as Ghanaians returning from the "battle front".
Despite being quarantined for 21 days in Ivory Coast, the returnees were made to undergo another screening at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Dr. Bampoe said.
The workers, including psychologies, doctors, nurses, and those helping in contact tracing, “are all very relief to be here,” he remarked.
Even though there are still reported cases of the Ebola virus especially in Liberia and Sierra Leone, the Deputy Health Minister said it is too early to tell if another batch would be dispatched to the Ebola-stricken countries.
He was however quick to add that he would not be surprised if these countries place calls for more health workers from Ghana after the distiguished service of the 42 returnees in helping to curtail the deadly virus.
Even though we have not reached zero cases yet, the number of cases has gone down very much. What I can tell you is that speaking to my colleague deputy ministers and ministers Sierra Leone and Liberia I know that the Ghanaian health workers made a huge difference because the Ebola treatment units in which they worked show very remarkable increase in survival rate. So they are much sought after, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there is another request for Ghanaian workers to go back and help.”
Meanwhile, Sierra Leone's President Ernest Koroma is reported by the AFP to have ordered the country's entire population Saturday to stay in their homes for three days in a bid to stem the spread of the deadly Ebola epidemic.
"All Sierra Leoneans must stay at home for three days…I have made my personal commitment to do whatever it takes to get to zero Ebola infections and I call on every Sierra Leonean in every community to pull together," he said.
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