COVID-19: Expedite sample testing of health workers – GMA to govt

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has called on government to as a matter f urgency expedite the testing of samples taken from doctors, nurses and the healthcare workers for important decision stop be made.

They are also calling for general hospital-based testing to be expedited so that healthcare workers can be protected.

The call comes on the back of new trend of Covid-19 infections where new cases are coming up as a result of patients reporting symptoms in the hospital as opposed to the earlier trend were cases were recorded from contact-tracing.

Speaking to Francis Abban on the Morning Starr, Deputy General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association Dr Titus Baidoo disclosed that a good number of doctors have been exposed to the virus, ‘and concrete information will come out in the coming days’.



The association also admonished citizens to call the Covid-19 emergency numbers instead of showing up at clinics to protect everyone.

He said “the trend appears to be changing because initially most of the numbers that were coming in were coming in from this enhanced surveillance which means that people were not sick and they were just being tested.”

He added: “Now, most of our cases that are recorded, most people are actually showing symptoms and coming into the hospital because of symptoms and are being tested. That increases the risk of infections to healthcare workers, so we are worried and we are seeing that in the numbers that are coming up, we are very concerned about it.”

“Also, we will appeal for more PPE for doctors, we will appeal for more assistance from the public that people with symptoms should alert us instead of just walking into the hospital. Call the numbers and then you will be attended to if you have an issue. And if you are coming in, come in with the mask so you can keep your doctors, your nurses and other healthcare workers safe.”

Source: Starrfm.com.gh