Public health emergencies: Ashanti Regional Health Directorate holds simulation exercise

The Ashanti Regional Health Directorate, has held a public health emergency simulation exercise to test the preparedness of various actors in health emergency situations.

The exercise, which was put together by the Directorate in collaboration with the Surveillance Unit of the Ghana Health Service, brought together key actors in health, security and other allied institutions, who play various roles in public health emergencies.

They included the Ghana Ambulance Service, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Veterinary Service Department, Ghana Education Service, Kumasi South Hospital, and the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR).

Others were the Ghana Police Service, Ghana National Fire Service, Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Armed Forces, National Disaster Management Organisation, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), and the Information Services Department.

Also invited as observers were representatives from the clergy, traditional authorities, academia and the media.

The participants simulated various case scenarios after which they discussed the positives and gaps identified in the process.

Dr. Emmanuel Tinkorang, the Regional Director of Health Service, in his opening remark, underlined the need to always prepare to be able to confront emergencies.

He said the exercise would help smoothen the rough edges in emergency response plans of all the various sectors as they shared their experiences with other stakeholders.

“Whatsoever we will learn here and the gaps that will be identified will be closed so that we will know how to address them in the event of real emergencies,” he said.

Dr. Rita Larsen-Reindorf, Deputy Director in charge of Clinical Care who led the exercise told the Ghana News Agency (GNA), after the meeting that emergencies could happen in the form of the case scenarios, they demonstrated, hence the need to test their preparedness.

She said it was important for the various stakeholders in health emergencies to be on high alert at all times and take swift action even if initial information was a rumour.

She said health emergency situations required multi-sectorial approach, adding that, one health concept could go a long way to comprehensively control emergencies.