The United States Ambassador to Ghana, Ms Stephanie Sullivan, has commissioned two giants health services intervention facilities to improve emergency response in the Western Region.

The two facilities, made possible through collaboration with the USA Centre for Disease Control and others, are the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre and the Public Health Molecular Laboratory (Biosafety level II facility) with the state of the art technology to help in surveillance, real-time data and diagnosis and could respond to future pandemics.

The Ambassador at separate events to cut the tape for the official opening of the two facilities described the Western Region as "Ready to diagnose other diseases" with the provision of such a world-class medical intervention.

She noted that the COVID-19 pandemic made clear the need for effective local responses in disease control, adding, "these facilities may not be for COVID-19 alone but any such health care emergencies in the future."

The Regional molecular laboratory, also known as Biosafety level II facility, has been established on the background of the deficiencies exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the strain it had on the Regional Veterinary Services Laboratory.

The 1991-old fashioned facility was, therefore, upgraded and equipped to perform modern-day health care services.

At the same time, the Emergency Operations Centre, would provide data on disease and other public health conditions and build the capacity of staff to handle emergencies as part of efforts to enhance strategies to protect and improve upon health security in the Region.

Dr Patrick Kuma Aboagye, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, said the two centres had now become a subregional centre to serve the Western North and the Central Regions.

He noted how the Service had put in place an E- Surveillance system to enhance Regional Response healthcare in real-time.

Dr Aboagye said the COVID-19 pandemic had opened the "eyes" of the Service to challenges that needed to be addressed in health care infrastructure, adding, "this is one good response to public health in line with International Health Regulations."

The Director-General mentioned that so far the country has 34 laboratories running tests in emergency areas out of which 16 were state-owned.

According to him, the Country currently has 6,500 active COVID-19 cases.

Dr Yaw Ofori Yeboah, the Western Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service, appreciated partners for such a massive capital, human and logistical investment into the health care needs of the people in the Region.

He said the facility was commissioned at an opportune time, bearing in mind the emergence of bird flu and Ebola in the neighbouring Ivory Coast.

Dr Yeboah said the Service, through its collaborators, would continue to work more to strengthen public health.

Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, the Western Regional Minister, said the government had planned programmes for the health care sector, including Agenda 111 to ensure quality health care even in the remotest part of the country.

The Western Region, he said, stood to benefit from six of such planned projects.

However, the Regional Minister entreated the US Ambassador to help lure investors in the pharmaceutical sector to begin turning their attention to the Region for investment.