China deploys frontline doctors to Ghana to combat coronavirus

China has deployed a medical team, including frontline doctors to Ghana to help the West African country curb the spread of COVID-19, dailymailgh.com has learnt.

The team includes 11 doctors in various specialities who have been trained on COVID-19 prevention and treatment in China, said Zhuang Shaohui, Leader of the medical team Sunday.

The 10th batch of Chinese medical team in Ghana is from the First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, which was a designated hospital for COVID-19 patients in China.

“In particular, three medical specialists of our team have been on the frontline to combat the pandemic in China, whose practical experience, I believe, will also work here in Ghana,” the Xinhua News Agency quoted Zhuang as saying.

“Once we start the work in the China-Ghana Friendship Hospital, we will do our best to share the relevant experiences with local doctors to help them better understand the route to curb the pandemic,” he further added.

China has dispatched 10 medical teams to Ghana in a bid to support the country’s medical and healthcare services. Over years, the Chinese doctors have been devoted to serving local patients, which have been widely acclaimed by the country and its people.

The development comes after the West African nation recorded a new strain of the coronavirus from its arrivals at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra.

The country could face new COVID restrictions, as it grapples with mounting coronavirus infections, authorities said on Sunday.

New active cases have reached 1,924 with an average of 200 infections daily.

13 out of 16 regions in Ghana have recorded virus infections as concerns grow over the blatant dihurtcols among the public.

The government said, however, that it may be forced to reintroduce restrictions including a lockdown if Ghana’s COVID-19 cases continually increase.

President Akufo-Addo said on Sunday that although the government is against the idea of a lockdown due to its negative impact on the economy, it might resort to that if the rate of spread increases.

“We do not want to go back to the days of partial lockdowns which hurt our economy and way of life”, the President said in his 22nd update on government’s enhanced responsive measures against the outbreak.

He continued: “But should that become necessary, and should the number of active cases continue to increase at the current rate, I will have no option than to reimpose these restrictions because it is better to be safe than to be sorry. So together, let us all ensure that we respect the protocols”.

The President indicated that the government will reintroduce the testing, tracing, treating policy to help identify and isolate infected persons.

So far 352 COVID related fatalities have been recorded in Ghana.