Emergency Preparedness for Communicable Diseases in Public Hospitals in the Kumasi Metropolis of the Republic of Ghana

Background: Emergencies are unpredictable hence when they occur, they lead to immediate demand on public health resources. The capability of affected institutions and countries to handle such situations can be compromised, exposing the deficiencies at the various levels of their emergency preparedness. Objective: This study therefore sought to investigate the emergency preparedness and how communicable diseases are managed in public hospitals in the Kumasi Metropolis. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study performed among health care workers in five public hospitals in the Kumasi Metropolis using stratified random sampling technique. A total of 450 health workers from the five hospitals were recruited for the study. However, 360 of them participated in the study. A self-administered structured questionnaire was administered which reflected the objectives of the study. A quantitative method was employed to show how the variables were related. Results: The study revealed that the facilities have emergency preparedness plans and teams for handling disease outbreaks and also, there were treatment protocols present on the walls in the facilities. 85% of communicable diseases diagnosed were isolated and treated at the facility, 12% was referred and 3% of the cases were treated and sent home. 87 % of respondents indicated that there were no separate and specific structures for admitting and treating communicable diseases Conclusion: Public hospitals are well prepared for any disease outbreak in the Kumasi Metropolis.