The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has called for some compensatory package for health workers who attend to patients of the Ebola Viral Disease (EVD).

It said this would encourage and motivate them to offer the best possible care to the patients.

The call was contained in a statement issued and signed by Most Reverend Joseph Osei-Bonsu, Bishop of Konongo-Mampong and President of the Conference at the end of the Second National Pastoral Congress of Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference at Fiapre near Sunyani.

It was on the theme “The New Evangelism for The Transmission of the Christian Faith in Ghana in the Light of Africae Munus”.

The conference hosted by the Sunyani Diocese of the Catholic Church was attended by 135 Archbishops, Bishops, Reverend Monsignors, Reverend Fathers, Sisters and Brothers of the Catholic Church in Ghana.

The statement said some hospitals, clinics and healthcare centres across the nation, should be set up as special centres to handle reported cases immediately.

“With the knowledge that health workers are at risk of contracting the disease and have frequently been infected while attending to Ebola patients, we call on the government to provide the necessary protective gears, including gloves and masks for their use,” it added.

The statement noted that the government has put in place a national programme to help prevent and contain the disease in the event of an outbreak in the country.

“Our recommendation is that government should publicise this programme for the citizenry to know the danger posed by the disease through an aggressive information and education campaign on the disease.”

It said the country’s entry points, including the airports, harbours and the borders should be alert and well-equipped to screen people who enter the country to isolate and deal with possible cases of the disease.

The statement expressed concern about the situation where people, especially fishermen who have been to some of the affected areas enter the country by the sea and go straight to their families and communities without any proper screening.

“We think that this situation poses a real danger not only to their families but the entire nation and call on the government to help address this situation,” it added.

The statement appealed to all parishes, religious and lay leaders, including catechists to begin to inform and educate the people about the disease.

It appealed to all Parish Priests and their Assistants to devote the next few Sundays to the education of all parishioners on the disease, while health personnel should be approached to lead this exercise.

“We also appeal to all our hospitals, clinics and other health facilities dotted across the country to put in place the necessary structures at the facilities to handle reported cases of Ebola with dispatch,” the statement added.

It said “While we cannot direct our faithful not to shake hands during the Kiss of Peace at mass, we think that it is possible to minimize the shaking of hands.

“These directives are intended as short-term measures to prevent the possible outbreak of the Ebola diseases in the country.”

The statement recommended intensive prayers for an end to the spread of the disease in the sub-region and elsewhere and show solidarity with the brothers and sisters in affected areas.

“We wish that all of us will do our part to help ensure that this disease is kept away from entering Ghana by taking the necessary precautionary measures,” it added.