First Lady commends MOH, GHS for mutually beneficial partnership

First Lady of the Republic H. E. Mrs. Rebecca Naa Okaikor Akufo-Addo has described the partnership between The Rebecca Foundation and state agencies like the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) as one which has been immensely beneficial to the good people of Ghana, especially women and children.

According to her, since its establishment in 2017, The Rebecca Foundation of which she is Executive Director has partnered the Ministry of Health and the GHS to complement government’s enormous investment in the health sector in building and constructing new health facilities and rehabilitating existing facilities, especially in deprived communities.

She said The Rebecca Foundation appreciated quality health being central to the well-being of a nation and has channeled a lot of effort in supporting government in the health sector by donating health equipment and constructing health facilities to support government.

The First lady made these comments when she presented hospital consumables and also PPEs including nose masks,hand sanitizers, soap,gowns ,gloves, baby diapers,Washing powder and others to the Saltpond Hospital.

Mrs. Akufo-Addo said The Rebecca Foundation has donated hospital equipment and supplies to all sixteen (16) regions, including a phototherapy machine to the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital and carried out health outreaches and surgeries all over the country.

The Foundation, she said, has also distributed ambulances and renovated and equipped health facilities, including a CHPS compound at Seduase, the Abbam Krom Health Centre and the Osu Government Maternity Home.

“Two of our biggest projects have been an ultra-modern Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and a Maternity, Neo-natal Intensive care and Paediatric Intensive care units, at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital”, the Executive Director of The Rebecca Foundation said.

The First Lady also expressed gladness at her husband, H.E. President Akufo-Addo’s cutting of sod in May this year to reactivate the construction of the Maternity and Children’s Block project of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) which had been abandoned for forty-four (44) years.

She explained that while The Rebecca Foundation – constructed Maternity and Paediatric Intensive care unit, at KATH is to provide an interim solution to the huge challenges the hospital faces in maternal and child care, the 750-bed facility, which when completed will serve as a referral center for twelve out of Ghana’s sixteen regions, will significantly increase government’s capacity to cater for the health needs of women and children in the country.

Mrs. Akufo-Addo pledged The Rebecca Foundation’s commitment to continue to execute initiatives which will enhance the welfare of women and children, health-wise, intellectually and economically.

The First Lady also commended government on how proactive and incisive it has been in combatting the COVID 19 pandemic which has led to the rate of infection slowing down and recoveries going up, cautioning however, the importance in adopting all the safety precautions, to stop the spread, in the hope of soon getting back to our normal lives.

Story: Sheila Satori Mensa

W/R: Mother and Child Health negatively impacted on Health service performance – Dr Jacob Mahama

The Western Regional Director of Health Service, Dr. Jacob Mahama on encounter with the media has stated that, the Mother and Child Health intervention has particularly been hit on the challenges and restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly and negatively impacted on the western regional Health Service performance in the first half year of 2020.

This was due in the attendance at Antenatal care service which has been falling for several past years and persisting in 2019 mid year from 37.6% to 36.7% in 2020 mid year as they targeted 95%.

The theme for the encounter with the media in the Western Regional was “Continuing Quality Health Service Delivery Amid COVID-19 Pandemic Challenges”

He said communication between health workers and clients has been reduced to a functional minimum. Meanwhile they are to ensure the provision of quality services.

According to him, they have to emphasis the nature of the environment to continue to operate in order to render invaluable healthcare services to all and sundry in the Western Region and Ghana at large.

Dr. Mahama stated that the Health sector has badly been affected by the restrictive nature of the preventive protocols that they all need to observe to survive the pandemic.

Briefing the media in Sekondi-Takoradi at the Ghana Health Service Training Unit on other health issues in the Western Region, Dr. Jacob Mahama said increase in number of new ART sites in the Western Region will help to move HIV services closer to the clients in identifying and giving multiple worth of drugs, up to 6 months, to stable clients reduced the burden of frequent visits to clinic.

He noted, difficulty in tracing clients who have defaulted or are lost to follow up due to wrong addresses and phone numbers still persist as challenges including discrimination of people living with HIV.

Again adherence to treatment protocols, constant monitoring and supervising of the peripheral staff and health facilities and regular feedback has yielded deserved results in control of malaria in the Western Region. Meanwhile difficulties imposed by COVID-19, tuberculosis case notification rate has a significant drop from 34 to 31/100,000 population in 2019 mid year respectively, translating into a drop of 62 cases.

The Director of Health Service in the Western Region hinted of new projects including the refurbishment of Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, construction of a Trauma Center in Agona Nkwanta-Ahanta West, Remodeling of Mpohor Health Center, Construction a hospital in Nsuaem, Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality, construction of 100 bed hospital at Shama and construction of Poly-Clinic at Elubo.

According to him inadequate Transport “Pick-ups and motor bikes”, Pharmacists and Large number of casuals draining Internal Generated Fund “IGF” are challenges facing the Health Service in western region.

Source: Benjamin Bray-Vision1 Fm

Madagascar’s Covid-19 ‘cure’ received by Ghana, its efficacy being tested

Ghana has received a herbal cure for Covid-19 developed in Madagascar, the Information Ministry has revealed.

An update from the Ministry said the drug is being tested for its efficacy.

We have received the Madagascar cure for Covid19 and we are testing it for efficacy – @konkrumah#AskTheInfoMinistry #Covid19

— Ministry of Information (@moigovgh) May 19, 2020

There has been pressure mounted on government locally to contact the African country for the medication after Andry Rajoelina, Madagascar’s President launched it in April.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has, however, not endorsed it.

The Organisation says there is no proof of a cure for Covid-19 after Madagascar’s President launched it.

The BBC also reported that Madagascar’s national medical academy (Anamem) cast doubt on the efficacy of the Covid-Organics.

It said it had the potential to damage people’s health as its “scientific evidence had not been established”.

The tonic is produced from the artemisia plant – the source of an ingredient used in a malaria treatment – and other Malagasy plants.

Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) would be expected to study the drug and give a recommendation on it.

Ghana will not accept Madagascar’s Covid-19 cure and this is why

Madagascar has been in the news couple of weeks now for touting a herbal medicine product it says can cure the novel COVID-19.

So far, most African countries like Guinea-Bissau, Congo, and Tanzania have all taken delivery of the product.

But Ghana will not accept or try this medicine.

Ghana’s Food and Drug Authority (FDA) has hinted that it will not allow the use of Madagascar’s purported COVID-19 remedy in the country because it hasn’t been scientifically proven by any medical experts.

Chief Executive Officer of FDA, Mimi Delese Darko, says that Ghana needs more evidence from medical experts before accepting the product as COVID-19 cure.

“…Yes, we’ve read about it but what we also look out for is evidence so you cannot just put a drug or a herbal product on the market without evidence and say it treats a disease. So far as we’ve seen, it was tested in about 20 people over 3 weeks and come out with the claim of cure. There is no published study and what we would say is that we will need more evidence,” said Mimi delese Darko

However, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, has said that Ghana is ready to make an assessment on ‘COVID-Organics’- the purported COVID-19 cure from Madagascar.

Madagascar President, Andry Rajoelina has been promoting the plant-based tonic, COVID-Organics as South Africa promise to assist them in a scientific analysis.

“Ghana is ready to test the efficacy of Madagascar’s COVID-19 cure” – Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye

Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has said Ghana is ready to make an assessment on ‘Covid-Organics’- the purported COVID-19 cure from Madagascar.

He said when that herbal product is made available the GHS would collaborate with the Food and Drugs Authority to ascertain its potency and advise the public accordingly.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye said this at a media briefing on Thursday in Accra on the latest Coronavirus management situation in the country.

He was responding to a question posed by a journalist as to whether Ghana is considering the use of the Covid-Organics as part of its treatment measures.

‘Covid-Organics’, is the herbal remedy produced from artemisia, a plant with proven efficacy against malaria, and other indigenous herbs as stated by the Malagasy Institute of Applied Research in Madagarscar.

The plant was first imported into the island nation in the 1970s from China to treat malaria.
It is now marketed in bottles as a herbal tea, while the President of Madagascar, Mr Andry Rajoelina has said clinical trials were under way in the country to produce a form that could be injected into the body.

As COVID-19 spreads across Africa and leaders put their countries in lockdown, President Rajoelina last month launched the herbal remedy that he claimed could prevent and cure the disease.

The announcement caught medical experts, who have scrambled to find a cure for the disease that has killed more than 252,000 and infected at least 3.6 million people globally, by surprise.

Meanwhile, the African Union said, it is in discussion with Madagascar with a view to obtain technical data regarding the safety and efficiency of the herbal remedy.

In an attempt to reassure people and brush aside safety concerns, Mr Rajoelina took a dose of Covid-Organics at the launch event and said it was safe to be given to children.

The World Health Organization (WHO) have also advised people against using untested remedies for COVID-19.

“Africans deserve to use medicines tested to the same standards as people in the rest of the world,” WHO, the United Nations health agency, said in a statement on Monday.

“Even if therapies are derived from traditional practice are natural, establishing their efficacy and safety through rigorous clinical trials is critical,” the statement said.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also warned people against using unproven remedies.

“There is no scientific evidence that any of these alternative remedies can prevent or cure the illness caused by COVID-19. In fact, some of them may not be safe to consume,” the CDC said.

Ghana records 99 recoveries as coronavirus cases jump to 834

16 more people have trumped the Coronavirus and have been discharged to their homes, bringing to total 99 recoveries.
The number of Coronavirus cases has, however, surged to 834 with an additional death recorded.
According to the Health Service, the new figures are part of the completion of a backlog of laboratory samples picked up for testing as part of the COVID-19 testing exercise.

Hence the new figures recorded do not represent new cases.

“…Some 57,000 samples already successfully tested as at April 15th 2020. In the first batch of this backlog, an additional 198 have been found to be positive. This will bring Ghana’s total case count to 834 at the moment. The general public is however advised that this does not represent new infections that are occurring. It represents results from tests of a backlog of samples,” part of the report by the health service read.

The laboratories have been working day and night to test this large number of samples. Hopefully in the next few days, all the testing would be completed.

Total samples tested so far now stands at 60, 916 with 1.37 % testing positive. The results of these backlog of samples when released does not mean the number of new cases recorded on the day of the report. Regions that have reported cases are Greater Accra, Ashanti, Eastern, Northern, Volta, Upper East, Upper West, Central, Western and North East.

The additional death recorded brings to total, 9 cases so far.

“We appreciate you very much” – President Akufo-Addo to health workers

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has extended the appreciation of the nation to all health workers across the country for the continued sacrifices they are making in caring for those infected with the Coronavirus, and in caring for the sick in general.

Speaking at a meeting with the leadership of the Ghana Medical Association, on Tuesday, 7th April, 2020, at Jubilee House, the President stated that the purpose of the meeting was “to let you know that I appreciate, and the country appreciates very much, the work that you are doing, and to encourage you that, at this stage more than at any time in your professional career, you will really be standing up for the people of Ghana in everything that you do.”

In the presence of the President of the Association, Dr. Frank Ankobea, the President acknowledged that, after 63 years of Ghana’s independence, the country has not done well in making readily available all the facilities required for the health workers to function.

He, nonetheless, assured that “on my part and on the part of government, we will continue to see what we can do to meet you halfway, ease the issues that you have. I think you heard my broadcast the other day, I indicated the measures that we want to put in place to support you in the work that you are doing.”

Outlining some of interventions being made to support and motivate health workers during this crisis, President Akufo-Addo stated that “buses for nurses and health workers have started plying the streets of Accra, the allowances that are going to be paid to health workers are being worked out by the Finance Minister, and, very soon, in the course of this month the first payments are going to be made.”

He continued, “the daily allowances that are going to contact traces and all; all of those things are being done. But, above all, in crises of this nature, it is our spirit, our morale, our commitment, to our country, to our society, that will determine the success or otherwise of our ability to confront this menace.”

On the definition of who which group constituted “Frontline Health Workers”, President Akufo-Addo stated that “effort is being made on the part of government, to arrive at an acceptable definition, and I think your input will be very necessary and required, so that we get a definition that makes sense for everybody and which addresses the issue of people who are also in the frontline, as it were, of dealing with this disease.”

Exclusive with Dr Kwabena Appiah: Private Health Providers lament as government neglects them in sharing Covid19 PPEs to health officers

The world has been hit by numerous viral disease over the past decades, including SARS, SWINE FLU, just for few. In 2019, a virus from the Coronavirus family (Covid19) was detected in Wuhan, China, which has now become a global pandemic. Many countries, including USA, Italy, Spain, France, German, UK, just for few, and many other countries which one would term as having resilient medical equipments have all been affected hugely and thousands of lives are being lost daily.

Africa, as a continent was not left out. Many countries including Ghana have all been affected, and leaders of the affected countries are restless in curbing the spread of the virus, containing and managing it.

Because the world at large was not ready and prepared for such pandemic, it’s brought scarcity on some clinical materials like Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) but some countries are trying all the can to provide them for the respective health officers to fight the disease, and Ghana is not exception.

The Government of Ghana has made procurement of some PPEs to be shared to the health official but the focus has and/or is only on the government health facilities. The private and community health providers have never been flashed in the minds of the distributors other these PPEs.

Due to that, the private health providers are lamenting over being neglected by government. On 26th March 2020, University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) issued a statement with proposals to the government and they stated that the private health providers should not be neglected in fighting the virus, since they (the private health facilities) are situated in our various communities which any suspected covid19 patient may first attend before they’re taken to these government facilities.

Last week, Dr Samuel Boakye, the acting president of the Private Health Providers Association of Ghana, came out to debunk an earlier statement from the Ministry of Health which said they have been engaged, and that, they will also be looked at.

According to him, government has not called on them as the minister claimed.

In an exclusive interview with Dr. Kwabena Appiah, the Physician Assistant and Biomedical Lab scientist at Ngleshie Amanfrom Community Clinic at American House, to be specific, in the GA South Municipality, he highlighted some challenges the private sector is facing in combating the covid19 pandemic and how they have been sidelined by government

He said, even if the PPEs were on the market, they would have gone to buy them for their safety and that of their staffs.

He went on to plead with the government to consider those in the private sector especially those in the community, which anyone can just walk in for healthcare.

Dr Kwabena Appiah seized the opportunity to call on all corporate bodies and well meaning Ghanaians to also come to their aid and the Ghanaian populace to observe the hygiene protocals and advised every Ghanaian to adhere to the President’s directives to curb the spread of the pandemic.

Confirmed: Passengers who arrived at KIA on Saturday evening placed under mandatory quarantine

Government as part of measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak in the country, on Saturday night begun quarantining all passengers disembarking at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).

According to one of the travellers, passengers were not informed about the development prior to arriving in the country until they got to the arrival hall of Terminal 3.

Passengers were surprised to see the hall swarmed with senior government officials as well as health officers.

The source said after airport and health authorities finished their checks, all the passengers were made to board buses to begin a 14-day quarantine.

Those who arrived onboard a British Airways flight were reportedly driven to the Airport View Hotel located about a kilometre away from the KIA.

A pssenger who arrived from Monrovia, Liberia, onboard Air Cote d’Ivoire, said she was being quarantined at the La Palm Royal Hotel also in the capital.

Facebook post by one of the passengers

Ghans can no longer take any chances as the number of novel coronavirus cases have increased from 19 to 21 as at Saturday.

The number of active cases, however, is 20, as one of the patients has died.

Effective Sunday, Ghana will close all its borders in a move to contain the pandemic which has recorded cases with people who have no travel history, what experts call community transmission.

President Nana Akufo-Addo who announced this Saturday said the decision is to help reduce further escalation of the infection rate in the country, which hitherto recorded only imported cases.

“All that government is doing is intended to achieve five key objectives: limit and stop the importation of the virus, contain its spread, provide adequate care for the sick, limit the impact of the virus on social and economic life, and inspire the expansion of our domestic capabilities and deepen our self-reliance,” he explained.

It was his third address to the nation on the coronavirus pandemic.

He said all the country’s borders – land, air and sea – will be closed at midnight on Sunday

Source: myjoyonline.com

Just In: Another Suspected case of Covid19 detected in Paga

Health authorities at Paga in the Kasena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region are currently monitoring a suspected case of coronavirus.

The suspected case was detected yesterday by health workers at the Nakolo Clinic and efforts are being made to ascertain the condition.

The patient, it is gathered, came to the facility from one of the nearby villages close to the border on the side to Burkina Faso to seek health care.

According to the District Director of Health Service, Hypolite Yeleduor, who shared details with Ghanaweb’s Senyalah Castro, the workers after admitting the patient observed symptoms similar to the disease and detained him for further observation.

Mr. Yeleduor said interaction with the patient revealed that he joined a gathering at a funeral home and later got sick, raising fears he might have been infected with the virus there.

He said authorities at the regional level have been informed about the case and samples would soon be picked for tests in Accra.

He added that some other samples have also been sent to the regional hospital for testing for other suspected conditions.

Mr. Yeleduor said: “Yesterday, workers at the Nakolo Clinic detected symptoms of the COVID-19 on a patient who had come in from one of the villages near the border towards Burkina Faso. So seeing those symptoms, the nurses reported to their in- charge who went there today to ascertain the case”.

“We can’t entirely say it’s COVID-19 because he is showing symptoms of other diseases like Hypertitis and some other diseases. We have sent samples to the regional hospital for tests and we are waiting to see the outcome.”

“We have also informed the regional team and samples for the COVID-19 testings will also be picked and sent Accra. We don’t have the capacity to run such tests here.”

He urged the public to keep calm while efforts are made to establish the condition.

He lamented the porous state of the Ghana border and the numerous unapproved routes people use to enter the country.

Lock down the country – Ghana Health Service advises government

Per public health principles, it will be in the country’s best interest to lock down, says the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Aboagye.

His comment comes on the back of Ghana seeing a rising number of new infections as the days go by.

According to the Director-General of GHS, it will be prudent for Ghana to take cues from countries who have shut down as the country keeps recording overnight surge in the coronavirus cases.

“If we want to apply public health principles that will be now. But we don’t live only on public health, we have other parameters to consider, but looking at just the public health principles now will be the best time to shut down. But there are other ramifications and so those things, we need to calculate and make sure that at the earliest point, such systems are put in place,” he said on Newsfile, Saturday, March 21, 2020.

Currently, Ghana has a total number of 19 recorded cases of the coronavirus.

Speaking on Joy News, Dr. Patrick Aboagye stated the need for the citizenry to be adherent to the precautionary measures outlined by the Ghana Health Service and the World Health Organization. This, he believes will slow down the spread of the outbreak.

He also debunked claims that gatherings of 25 persons and less can moderate the virus spread.

“For me, even the kind of introductions that have come in now, if we are disciplined enough to abide by them, it will significantly work well. The fact that they say we have closed schools doesn’t mean you should go and meet in the park and play football, we need to ensure that you don’t need to go out. You don’t go out to the mall, just roaming, these are the things all of us need to observe.

“I don’t know where the 25 number limit is coming from, the number the President mentioned is only limited to a private burial but all public gatherings have been banned now,” he noted.

Source: http://www.ghanaweb.com