Govt to secure 100-bed capacity facility in response to COVID-19

Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, the Minister for Health says government is securing a 100-bed capacity facility at a remote location to quarantine persons with the flu-like Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection.

The facility is expected to be ready for use in two weeks in line with efforts to step up the national preparedness and response to any potential outbreak in Ghana.

Addressing a News conference in Accra on Wednesday, the Health Minister indicated that, the government was doing everything possible to prevent and protect against the outbreak and spread of COVID-19 infection in Ghana.

“We have adapted and circulated COVID-19 case definition to regional and lower levels, adapted a COVID-19 case investigation form, which is currently in use and activated a National Rapid Response Team,’ he said.

Mr Agyeman-Manu said the Health Ministry was working with development partners to monitor the situation and strengthen systems to quickly detect and contain a COVID-19 infection if it occurs.

He said the World Bank was supporting the completion of the Debrah Ward at the 37 Military Hospital; a 25-bed capacity infectious disease centre with modern facilities , expected to be ready in three weeks.

Commenting on available logistics, the minister stated that so far, 5,000 (Personal Protective Equipment) PPEs were procured and distributed to all major and selected health facilities in all regions, Points of Entry (PoE), Teaching Hospitals, and treatment centers.

He noted that a health prevention emergency response team was constituted by the President to handle the crises, which was reporting to the President on a daily basis adding

“The public health emergency management structures at all levels (national, regional, district) have been activated and placed on high alert,”

Mr Agyeman- Manu urged the public to wash their hands regularly with soap under running water, use hand sanitizers, where necessary and avoid hand shaking as much as possible

He advised that people keep a distance of at least one meter from a person showing signs of fever, cough and difficulty in breathing and also seek treatment immediately at the nearest health facility if infection was suspected.

According to the World Health Organization, (WHO), Coronavirus was a family of viruses that caused illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MARS)

According to worldometer, a website hosted by the American Library Association, as at 1819 hours on March 4th 2020,about 95,079 coronavirus cases with 3,249 deaths were recorded worldwide and 51,432 persons have recovered from the virus infections.

Symptoms of Coronavirus include; fever, cough, and difficulty in breathing which could be fatal.

The disease is spread through coughing and sneezing; close personal unprotected risk by touching or contact with infected person).

Presently, various treatment options are being explored, there is no cure, treatment is mainly symptomatic, there is no vaccine and prevention and is mainly by adherence to cough and sneezing etiquette and improved personal hygiene.