Coronavirus: We are running out of PPEs – KCCR

The Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR) is running of Personal protective equipment (PPEs) in the wake of coronavirus in Ghana, a researcher with the facility has said.

The Centre is one of the only two facilities with the capacity to test coronavirus cases in Ghana. Over 70 suspected cases of the virus have been tested at the facility

Speaking to Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Tuesday, a Research Scientist at the centre Dr. Augustina Sylverken said they have informed the Ashanti regional health directorate about the impending shortage of the PPEs.

“Our stock is depleting quick and we have already informed the region about it,” she said.

On calls for a lock down of the country to avoid the spread of the virus, she said such a move should be based on scientific evidence and on accounts cases confirmed.

Meanwhile, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has blamed government for the seeming spread of coronavirus in Ghana.

According to the head of research of the TUC, Dr. Kwabena Nyarko Otoo, Ghana could have avoided some of the cases of covid-19 if government had taken the decision to shut the borders early.

Speaking to Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Tuesday, Dr. Nyarko urged government to immediately lock down the country in order to avoid further spread of the deadly virus.

” If the ports had shut down a little bit earlier, we wouldn’t have imported some of the cases. We have realized that the delay is what has led us to where we are now. We think that a gradual lock down will be like what we have already in place. There are many who cannot even afford the sanitizers and it is impossible to do social distancing in public transports and all that.

“So considering all these things, We think that giving the many risks, the best thing to do is to shut down, a general lock down. In 28 days when we had locked down the country, we would have reduced the risk of the spread,” he said.