GHANA – The World Bank, through the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF), has provided funds to WHO to enhance the capacity of Ghana’s health system for case management, improve quality of care and early case detection.
Since Ghana confirmed the first incidence of Covid-19 in 202, the country has embarked on intense actions to contain the outbreak through instituting proactive measures.
Public health measures such as mandatory wearing of facemasks in public places, social distancing, and hand hygiene were instituted to curtail the spread of the virus.
However, as the pandemic raged on, it has become evident that more needs to be done to adequately equip treatment facilities especially those managing severe to critical Covid-19 patients to improve clinical outcomes and reduce case fatality rates.
The provision by World Bank to WHO has seen treatment facilities in all 16 regions of Ghana receive critical medical supplies such as oxygen concentrators, patient monitors, arterial blood gas analyzers, electrocardiograms, nasal oxygen cannulas.
Approximately 360 multidisciplinary health staff were also trained to effectively manage Covid-19 patients in isolation, treatment facilities and at home.
Ghana’s health system has enhanced capacity to monitor and manage diseases requiring intensive care. Consequently, a greater proportion of those infected with Covid-19 requiring intensive care and ventilator support have higher chances of survival.
WHO noted that careful screening, triaging, diagnosis, timely linkage to care, and contact tracing are all essential steps in the management of Covid-19 patients.
To efficiently achieve these, healthcare workers responding within these various health facilities had to be adequately protected to reduce their chances of contracting Covid-19.
Personal Protective Equipment such as KN95, medical masks, examination gloves, face shields, isolation gowns, coveralls, goggles, gum boots, and shoe covers was supplied to healthcare workers across the country.
Ghana has so far reported 97,728 coronavirus cases, 802 fatalities and over 94 thousand recoveries. The country has managed to administer about 1.26 million vaccine doses with 1.3% of the population fully vaccinated.
Yesterday, the country received further funding toward healthcare infrastructure development from Deutsche Bank.
The financing covers a €55mn loan for two new trauma hospitals in the southern districts of Obuasi and Anyinam, a new emergency department in the town of Enyiresi and the rehabilitation of Obuasi’s health center.
