Hot!News

Govt commits GH¢2.5 million to fight coronavirus

The Government has dedicated GH¢2.5 million  as an emergency fund as part of a national preparedness plan to combat the deadly coronavirus if detected in Ghana, Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu has told Parliament.

According to Mr Agyeman-Manu, the Ministry of Health has initiated processes to procure 10,000 pieces of personal protective equipment for the use of all front-line workers who would be involved in the fight against the deadly virus.

“Government of Ghana is doing everything possible to prevent and protect [Ghanaians] against the outbreak and spread of the infection in the country,” he said when he briefed the House in Accra yesterday on the country’s preparedness to combat the disease.

The China Coronavirus, first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan on December 31, at the time of filling this report, has killed at least 427 people with the number of cases reaching more than  30,000 globally, the World Health Organisation said.

Now in every Chinese province, the deadly virus has spread to dozens of countries including the USA, the UK, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, UAE, France, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Australia, South Korea amongst others.

To ensure that Ghana does not join the list of countries that have recorded the flu-like virus, Mr Agyeman-Manu said public health management committees at all levels have been activated and placed on high alert to coordinate the emergency structure.

“The Ministry of Health has sent alerts to all regions and districts to activate the respective Public Health Emergency Management Committees,” he stated.

He continued: “Sensitisation and training of Healthcare Workers and all other frontline staff especially at the points of entry and training of staff at the designated treatment centres have started and are ongoing.

“Large scale awareness and training of health workers are also planned for immediate rollout.”

To be sure that no infected person entered the country unnoticed, the Minister said, screening for fever using walk-through thermometers and non-contact thermometers at the Kotoka International Airport and other designated were being carried out.

He said that for treatment, four centres – Ga East, Police, Ridge and Tema General hospitals – have been designated for isolation of confirmed and suspected cases.

“We have initiated processes to designate more centres in the highly populated areas of Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale to manage cases,” Mr Agyeman-Manu said that a national social mobilisation and risk communication emergency response strategy had been developed for a sensitisation campaign.

He urged the general public to observe precautionary measures including regular washing of hands with soap and water or alcohol, and keeping a distance of at least one meter from a person showing signs of fever, cough and difficulty in breathing.

“Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Health continues to work with the development partners to monitor the situation and further strengthen systems to prevent the introduction of the outbreak in Ghana, and detect early to contain it if it should occur,” he assured.

But the Ranking Member on the Health Committee, Kwabena Mintah Akandor, speaking with the media after the minister’s briefing described the government’s approach to the disease as a piece-meal approach.

He questioned the state of the holding centres, what protocols were laid down in the transportation and treatment of patients, the low publicity and tasked the government to come out with a blueprint which would be followed by all stakeholders including MPs.

BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI

Show More
Back to top button