Hospitals urged to set-up Isolation Centres to treat HINI patients

Takoradi, Jan. 20, GNA - Dr Kwaku Anin Karikari, Deputy Director in charge of Public Health in the Western Region on Tuesday

suggested the establishment of "isolation wards" for quarantine and treatment of the HINI influenza in regional and districts hospitals. He said though the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the 37 Military Hospital and the Police Hospital all in Accra and Effia Nkwanta had been identified as referral treatment centres across the country, they had no such facility for treatment of the disease. Dr Karikari made the suggestion at a media sensitization workshop for the western regional press to update them on the current state

of the influenza. He said the Ghana Health Service (GHS) had proposed a GH¢13 million budget to the state for consideration, which would perhaps aid

in establishing such centres. At the regional level, he added that the GHS was in consultation with the Regional Coordinating Council to establish the isolation

centre at the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital. Dr Karikari also noted that all the regions had activated their Pandemic influenza response committees and other contingency plans

initiated to deal actively with the threat of the disease. He noted that the region had so far recorded three cases, which were carefully dealt with adding "although the current situation is

under control, we have a lot to do to prepare for more lethal waves of the pandemic in future". Dr Karikari said the World Health Organization statistics show that 15,503 cases with 131 deaths has been recorded in Africa, America

190,765 and 7,016 deaths while Eastern Mediterranean has 38,359 cases with 883 deaths of the disease. Europe, 154,000 cases with 2,788 deaths, South East Asia 47, 059 with 1,289 deaths and Western Pacific recording 176,796 with 1,447

deaths. Dr Karikari said since countries were no longer required to test and report individual cases, the number of reported cases could be

underestimated. He mentioned some early detection signs as respiratory illness and changes in epidemiology of morbidity and mortality. Dr Karikari recommended regular washing of hands, avoiding infected persons, the use of face mask, drinking lots of water and seeking

early treatment. He urged communities to also support social distancing, isolation when requested by health workers for treatment of infected persons.