Hospitals gear up for COVID-19 emergency response

The Eastern Regional Health Directorate and Management of the Eastern Regional Hospital have announced advanced plans to activate their emergency response to help contain the increasing cases of COVID-19 in the region.

This decision comes in the wake of a report by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) revealing 31 new cases of COVID-19 in the country over the last week, with two cases recorded in the Eastern Region.

As the primary referral centre for all health facilities in the region, the hospital management has confirmed the availability of COVID-19 vaccines at their Outpatient Department (OPD). These vaccines are ready to be administered to individuals who wish to be vaccinated, as well as booster shots for those who have already received their first vaccination.

Dr. Arko Akoto Ampaw, the Medical Superintendent of the Eastern Regional Hospital, emphasised the facility’s preparedness in dealing with potential cases and their readiness to assist in containing any outbreak.

“Covid never went anywhere so the caseload just reduced across the country and quite a number of people have been vaccinated. Some have contracted the disease and have acquired natural immunities, so we want to believe that herd immunity is protecting many of us. But the cases are there. They are sporadic. They occur once in a while in the communities.

“The only thing I’ll say is that the vaccines are available even at the OPD. So those of us who have not been vaccinated should make it a point to get vaccinated. And for those of us who have been vaccinated for some years past, the immunity will begin weaning so it’s time to have a booster vaccine.

New cases recorded

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has recorded some 31 new cases of COVID-19 in the country in the last week.

Programmes Manager at the Expanded Programme on Immunization at the Ghana Health Service, Dr Kwame Amponsah-Achiano said the cases are not severe.

In an interaction with the media, Dr. Amponsah-Achiano said that the Ghana Health Service will begin a vaccination exercise on May 5, to help contain the spread of the virus.

“In the past week or so, we were recording some significant numbers up to about 30 or 31 or so. But this is not unexpected. As we have already been saying, COVID has come to stay with us.

“It is part of us. And so from time to time and that is why we also haven’t given up on vaccination and so if you are aware, from 5th to 9th May, we are going to do another exercise of COVID vaccination. So we are doing the national COVID-19 vaccination exercise as part of our strategies to reduce COVID to the barest minimum.”