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Ebola virus scare hits Ashanti Region; doctors run from suspected patient

By Myjoyonline.com
General News Ebola virus scare hits Ashanti Region; doctors run from suspected patient
JUL 30, 2014 LISTEN

Reports of an Ebola case at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) over the weekend caused a temporary closure of the facility, reports Nhyira FM's Ohemeng Tawiah.

Even as hospital officials have initiated investigations into the report of Ebola case at the facility, some doctors were alleged to have left a suspected Ebola victim to his fate for fear of contracting the virus.

According to some artisans at the Suame Magazine, the suspected Ebola virus carrier allegedly returned from Liberia, where the virus has claimed some lives.

Ebola has killed 672 people in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone since it was first diagnosed in February this year.

However, tests at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research on the suspected case came out negative.

Authorities at the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate are worried about what they say is increasing panic among the public as sensitization on Ebola virus intensifies.

Regional Director, Alexis Nang-Beifubah, told Ohemeng Tawiah the directorate is facing a herculean task of managing public anxiety about Ebola virus in the Ashanti Region.

“We give the alert but the reaction from the public is what we call a scare”, he explained.

He said the current awareness level has gotten to “panic” levels.

“We should avoid the panic. I want to plead with everybody in this region [Ashanti Region] to hear this message…and take a personal responsibility to protect yourself”, he admonished.

He however, gave the assurance that the directorate is ready to contain any possible Ebola outbreak in the region.

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