Asante Mampong Hospital ready to contain coronavirus spread

Member of Parliament (MP) for Asante Mampong, Mr Kwaku Sarpong Ampratwum, on Saturday assessed the Municipal Hospital’s readiness towards containing the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Mr Felix Archer, the Hospital Administrator, conducted the MP round various wards to inspect precautionary measures instituted against the disease, and indications were that the facility was ready to handle COVID-19 cases.

He was taken to the Holding Ward, an award designated for coronavirus cases, and also inspected a children's ward, which is about 95 per cent complete.

The Asante Mampong Municipal Hospital has not received any suspected case of the virus since the country first reported two cases on March 12.

Ghana’s case count has risen to 21 with one death as at March 21, prompting authorities to announce a raft of safety measures, including the closure of land borders with its neighbours.

All schools have also been closed and social gatherings, including religious activities, suspended. The government is encouraging social distancing and handwashing with soap under running water.

Briefing the MP, Mr Archer said the Hospital Superintendent, Dr Baffour Gyima, and his colleagues had already given thorough education and training to staff on how to handle COVID-19 cases.

He said Veronica Buckets had been procured and placed at vantage points with soap for handwashing.

The Hospital has not yet received any Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for the staff, he added, and pleaded with the MP to help procure them for the facility.

The equipment he requested for frontline workers include hand gloves, protective clothes, hospital clog shoes, nose masks and hand sanitizers.

In the absence of those protective gears, Mr Archer said staff might fear to attend to any case of COVID-19 if it spread in the Municipality.

“The highly infectious and life-threatening nature of the coronavirus disease has scared personnel of the hospital because there is no insurance cover for them,” he said.

Mr Ampratwum commended the authorities for their preparedness towards the pandemic and pledged to give out 300 Ghana cedis per month as incentive to each frontline worker.

“This is to motivate them to work assiduously towards eliminating the virus in the Constituency, in case of any of spread,” he said, adding that government would soon supply PPEs to all health facilities.

He encouraged the staff not to relent in giving out their best to save human lives as the Hospital is considered a referral point for many surrounding towns including Yeji, Attebubu and Ejura.

On the Children's Ward, Mr Ampratwum said the Amaniampong Youth Association in the United Kingdom, of which he was a member, was funding the building project.

He said funds had been made available to the contractor to complete it quickly for immediate use.