The OneGhana Movement, a civil society group has written to the Health Minister requesting details on Ghana’s preparedness for the novel coronavirus pandemic, also known as COVID-19.
Ghana has recorded 19 cases of the pandemic so far.
Among other things, the group is asking for projections on the number of cases Ghana may experience at the peak of the pandemic.
It also raised issues with the logistics of the Tema General Hospital and the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, the medical centres designated for handling the novel coronavirus cases.
“How many ventilators are available in Ghana as a country and how many have been allocated to the current designated COVID-19 health facilities, and how many more are required to meet the demand at peak? How many are to be procured and when do we expect to take delivery of them?”
In addition, the group wants clarity on the testing capacity of the country.
“How many test kits do we currently have and how many are required? How many more are to be procured and when do we expect to take delivery of them? Will these include approved rapid diagnostic kits if available?”
“What is the testing rate for Noguchi Medical Research Institute and Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research (i.e how many tests can they undertake per day)? Are these two centres in just two regions enough to serve the 16 regions of the country?”
The group asked for a breakdown of “how much of the USD100 million earmarked for the fight against COVID-19 has been made available to the Ministry and its entire health agencies” and “What additional disbursement plans exist?”
A Private legal practitioner, Akoto Ampaw had also written to the state requesting details on Ghana’s preparedness before the country recorded its first case.
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON GHANA’S PREPAREDNESS
21st March 2020
The OneGhana Movement has noticed the growing concern about the uncertainty of the Government’s level of preparedness to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and hereby request answers to the following:
- How much of the USD100 million earmarked for the fight against COVID-19 has been made available to the Ministry and its entire health agencies? What additional disbursement plans exist?
- What projection do we have on the number of cases Ghana may experience at the peak of the pandemic, looking at the increase in the cases we are currently observing, and the infection spread rate?
- How many Personal Protective Equipment for frontline respondents (i.e. Nurses, paramedics, doctors etc.) are required and how many do we currently have available in Ghana? How many more are to be procured and when do we expect to take delivery of them?
- What is the bed capacity of the existing isolation centers and how much capacity do we require? What steps are being taken to boost the capacity should it be inadequate? Is government seriously considering using the yet to be operationalized hospital facilities and when and how much additional capacity will they add?
- How many ventilators are available in Ghana as a country and how many have been allocated to the current designated COVID-19 health facilities, and how many more are required to meet the demand at peak? How many are to be procured and when do we expect to take delivery of them?
- What is the total oxygen producing capacity in the existing health facilities and how much capacity is required to meet the anticipated demand? What strategy is being put in place to avoid the shortage of oxygen?
- How many test kits do we currently have and how many are required? How many more are to be procured and when do we expect to take delivery of them? Will these include approved rapid diagnostic kits if available?
- What is the testing rate for Noguchi Medical Research Institute and Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research (i.e how many tests can they undertake per day)? Are these two centers in just 2 regions enough to serve the 16 regions of the country?
- What is Government’s position on equipping and empowering all regional hospitals and selected private laboratories with capacity to support the testing of suspected cases and voluntary test requests?
- How effective is the monitoring of directed self-quarantine cases? Is Government considering the need to strengthen the guidelines?
- Was the Ministry of Health agreeable to the blatant disregard of the directives of the President by the National Identification Authority without recourse to the wellbeing of the citizenry? If not, what did the Ministry do to address the nonchalance of the NIA? Is the Ministry of Health aware whether the NIA was acting under the directives of the President
- Has the Ministry of Health estimated the implications of the congestion of our prisons (which we are informed stands at about 52%) on the rapid spread of COVID-19? Is Government urgently considering options for the immediate de-congestion? What recommendations has the MOH advised?
In pursuit of the call to honour our National Pledge, we count on you to do the needful, in word and in deed, to respond in honesty and swiftly to the people of Ghana. We assure you of our commitment to support the fight against this common threat of COVID-19.
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For more updates on COVID-19 visit: https://citinewsroom.com/coronavirus/
