A 20-bed capacity facility has been commissioned for the Adabraka Polyclinic in Accra, to serve as a holding area for persons suspected of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
The isolation centre constructed and furnished by the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly (KOKMA) at a cost of GH¢342,162.99, is fitted with 10 hospital beds each for its male and female wards, a consulting room and a washroom compartment for the security and comfort of patients.
The intervention comes at a time when the polyclinic has recorded nine cases of the virus with two patients fully recovered and seven under observation awaiting their second test results.
“We have had lot of cases coming through but so far only nine have come out positive. Two have been discharged and seven are waiting for their second test to prove whether they are negative or not.
For us, we manage the mild cases where patients are asymptomatic but the moderate to severe cases are managed at the treatment centres,” Dr Abdul Razak Quao, Head of the Adabraka Polyclinic said in an interview with the Ghanaian Times.
According to him, the polyclinic was still training more of its staff for case management and the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure staff and patient safety but appealed for more PPEs.
Dr Quao was delighted with the commissioning of the isolation centre “which we have been sleepless over since the outbreak of COVID-19 especially looking at the living conditions of the people in this area.
We believe that this centre will be valuable to us even after the pandemic to promote staff and patient wellbeing,” he stated.
In a remark, a representative of the Regional Health Director and Head of Administration at the Greater Accra Regional Health Directorate, Dr Lucio Dery said that the isolation centre provided the needed comfort and safety for patients “so they don’t have any reason to abscond as we have seen in other places.”
He said the directorate was determined to scale up its response systems to effectively manage the pandemic in terms of equipping health facilities with needed infrastructure and resources.
“We want to give the assurance that this facility will be put to good use as we battle COVID-19 and beyond.”
Municipal Chief Executive of KOKMA, Samuel Nii Adjei Tawiah in a speech indicated that the Assembly’s decision to put up the isolation centre “was borne out of our sensitivity towards the health and safety of the people and also the health practitioners to be able to operate within the best forms of environment in managing this global pandemic.”
Mr Tawiah entreated management of the Polyclinic to promote a good maintenance culture at the centre to ensure it was in the best of state at all times.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Ishmael Ashitey who commissioned the centre indicated that the gesture was a step in advancing plans at making the Adabraka Polyclinic a district hospital.
He said the region was mobilising all needed resources and logistics available in managing the pandemic.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
