Coronavirus: Reduce exorbitant $150 testing fees - BPS to govt

The Bureau of Public Safety (BPS) has said the decision by the government to charge travellers $150 testing fee violates part of the International Health Regulation (IHR) 2005, which forbids the charging of travelers for any medical examination to ascertain their status.

The government is charging all persons travelling into the country $150 for the compulsory Covid-19 testing.

But the BPS has kicked against this move.

A letter to the Health Minister by the BPS on the matter read: “We find the government’s decision to mandatorily levy all travellers $150 testing fee a grave violation of act 7 of the IHR 2005 which states that except for travellers seeking temporary or permanent residence, no charge shall be made by a state for any medical examination provided for in the IHR or any supplementary examinations which may be required by the state to ascertain the health status of the traveller examined for the protection of public health.”

The BPS has, therefore, called on the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to “with immediate effect withdraw the $150 testing fee per traveller, completely”.

The letter further asked the government to “maintain the 72-hour prior take-off testing requirement and enforce a 14-day mandatory self-isolation regime for passengers arriving without the PCR test taken within the last 72 hours”.