Coronavirus: Details of government’s plan to deal with possible outbreak

Authorities within the Health sector have triggered emergency preparedness and response plan as part of measures to effectively deal with the Coronavirus should it find its way to the country.

The deadly virus, first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has killed over 100 people and affected more than 4,500 people in the Asian country.

Germany, Australia, United Kingdom and other countries in Europe have recorded suspected cases of the virus.

A suspected case reported in Cote D’Ivore has compelled government to adopt an emergency response focused on six (6) thematic areas to reduce the risk of any Ghanaian contracting the virus.

In a statement dated Monday, January 27, 2020, Ministry of Health said Regional and District Public Health Emergency Management Committees have been activated in addition to ongoing screenings for fever at the Kotoka Internation Airport and other entry points.

Earlier, the Ghana Health Service directed that all passengers from China must mandatorily fill health declaration forms, all geared towards dealing with the virus from entering the country.

In the 4-page statement issued and signed by the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, Government noted that “due to the evolving nature of the outbreak, it is imperative that the general public to continue to observe the preventive measures” which includes the “regular washing of hands with soap and water, keeping distance from a person showing signs of fever, cough, and difficulty in breathing and using alcohol hand rub where available.”

The statement added: “The MoH continues to work with the World Health Organization country office for Ghana and other partners to continuously monitor the situation and institute measures to prevent an outbreak in Ghana.”

The Ridge and Tema General Hospitals have further been designated as initial Case Management Centres while Regional Directors of the Ghana Health Service have been directed to set aside treatment centres in their respective regions to help deal with the outbreak.

Below is the statement from the Ministry:

Source: ABCNewsGh.com