Ghana Medical Association calls on government to step up Covid vaccines procurement efforts
The Ghana Medical Association has called on the government to double up its efforts to procure more vaccines to ensure our safety as a country amid the new variant of covid-19 that has been detected especially in the Southern part of Africa.
Since its detection, measures to stop it from spreading globally has been adopted by the World Health Organization.
The Ghana Medical Association recommends that the government could curb the spread of this variant by simply embarking on a rigorous testing regime at the various points of entry and also sequencing all positive cases available to also help detect mutant strain like the Omicron variant early enough.
Another way they believe Ghana can avoid the third wave is the strict adherence to the covid-19 protocols at various events and activities.
Ghana is expecting to take delivery of more than seven million doses of Covid-19 vaccines before the end of 2021, according to the Ghana Health Service.
Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director –General of the Ghana Health Service was optimistic that the receipt of these vaccines will bring to a total, the 20 million doses of the jabs the country has targeted to vaccinate the population.
Vaccines to be received include AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Johnson and Johnson.
Also, the service has expressed concern about the Yellow Fever outbreak in the Savannah Region that has now spread to eight regions.
The GMA seized the opportunity to call on Ghanaians to cooperate with the ongoing vaccination exercise and report suspected cases of Yellow Fever to the nearest facility.
“Our country is currently managing an outbreak of Yellow Fever. The outbreak which was first detected in the Savanna Region has since spread to 8 regions and unfortunately, 40 persons have died (as of 26th November 2021). We express our deepest condolences to those who have lost loved ones to this disease.”
“The Ministry of Health has put inadequate measures to contain the situation with appropriate case definition, case management and vaccination measures. We urge all persons in Ghana, especially those in the affected areas to cooperate with the ongoing vaccination exercise and report any suspected cases (the development of fever and yellowing of the eyes within 14 days of the fever) to the nearest health facility for appropriate diagnosis and management. We commend the tremendous efforts by our public health physicians and all health workers who are braving the odds to help the nation combat the current outbreak,” GMA added in the statement.
By: Stella Annan | myactiveonline.com Twitter @activetvgh
