The One Ghana Movement has complained about the nature of Ghana’s preparedness for a potential novel coronavirus case in Ghana.
According to the group, “the failure to ratchet-up interventions in the face of the likely spread could have dire consequences for the healthcare system and infrastructure should Ghana experience any outbreak in the country”.
In a statement signed by the Acting Executive Director of the group, Emily Kanyir Nyuur, it has asked the government to among other things, create “a comprehensive national Covid-19 awareness program to sensitize and help prepare the population psychologically”.
They also asked the government to as a matter of urgency, get the country together in readiness to “forestall or minimize loss of life in the event of a Covid-19 spread to Ghana”.
The One Ghana Movement further expressed confidence in the government’s ability to lead in such times where the disease has been declared as a global health emergency.
Click here to read the full statement.
Ghana’s preparedness
Per Ghana’s preparedness plan for an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, the state is operating along the World Health Organisation (WHO) protocols.
Alerts have been sent to all regions to update their respective preparedness plans and activate their respective public health management committees.
So far, the Ridge Hospital and the Tema General Hospital have been earmarked as case management centres.
Four other facilities; the Ga East Hospital, the Police Hospital, the LEKMA Hospital and the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital have been identified as additional facilities to support case management.
Technical support visits have also been undertaken by the Institutional Care Division (ICD) of Ghana Health Service and WHO to some designated facilities to assess preparedness.
Staff at the two identified treatment centres have also been given preliminary training in case management.
We currently have testing capabilities for the virus at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research. The centres have handled 24 suspected cases so far.
The United States government is, so far, also providing technical support and funding.
The National Technical Coordinating Committee has met twice to coordinate national preparedness activities.
Ghana’s National Public Emergency Preparedness Plan has been updated and a draft COVID-19 preparedness plan has been developed.