The Association of Health Service Administrators, Ghana (AHSAG) has called for intensified surveillance at Ghana’s borders following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
The association in a statement urged that the “Ghana Immigration Service, Port Health Authorities and other relevant institutions should intensify surveillance at all approved entry points as well as all other possible entry points into the country.”
“All District Hospitals and District Health Directorates must also heighten surveillance and emergency preparedness,” the association further advised.
As additional preparedness measures, the association said Infectious Disease Treatment Centres “such as those in Tamale and Tema should be put in a state of readiness to handle such cases.”
“As a medium to long term measure, NEC suggests to Government to consider the establishment of specialised centres for the treatment of highly infectious diseases such as the Coronavirus and Ebola.”
Ghana has so far recorded nine suspected cases of the virus, which tested negative.
The outbreak, which has been declared as a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO), has killed over 800 people.
All but two of the deaths have been in China.
The first novel coronavirus case was first reported from Wuhan, China, on December 31, 2019.
Various countries have imposed travel restrictions to a varying degree like Singapore, US and Australia which are denying entry to all foreign visitors who have recently been to China.
Africa’s first suspected case of the novel coronavirus in Africa emerged last month in the Ivory Coast.
That case also came back negative.
Ghana is one of only six countries in Africa with testing capabilities for the novel coronavirus.
