Category: Medical

Qatar Charity, an international non-governmental organization, has unveiled two health clinics in Ghana’s Northern Region, marking a significant stride in bolstering healthcare infrastructure.

The inauguration captured one clinic situated in Choggu (Tamale North constituency) and the other in Gamanzi (Yendi).

The newly established facilities are comprehensive in scope, featuring OPD waiting areas, consulting rooms, pharmacies, laboratories, male and female wards, delivery units, quarantine areas, and WASH facilities.

Mr Mohammed Ali, the Health Project Coordinator representing Qatar Charity’s Country Director, Mr Hasan Owda, emphasized that the primary aim was to combat neonatal and maternal mortality rates and diseases within the districts.

He stressed the importance of proper maintenance to ensure the sustained functionality of these vital facilities.

Notable dignitaries, including the Member of Parliament for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini, lauded Qatar Charity’s continuous support in enhancing healt
hcare infrastructure.

Leaders from the local communities, such as Choggu’s chief, Naa Mahamadu Abdulai, and the Sagnarigu Municipal Director of Ghana Health Service, Mr Mark Abugri, expressed gratitude for the initiative and pledged unwavering support for facility maintenance.

The Gamanzi Clinic inauguration ceremony witnessed the presence of the District Health Director of Yendi, Alhassan Iddi Sulemana, and other esteemed guests.

Mr. Muhammed Yakubu Hudu, the philanthropist who donated the land for the clinic, emphasized the importance of sound management practices for project sustainability. Qatar Charity reiterated its commitment to investing in underserved communities, highlighting the crucial role the clinics would play in improving healthcare accessibility and reducing maternal and neonatal disease burdens.

Both clinics have been formally handed over to their respective health directorates and are poised to commence operations promptly, marking a significant milestone in advancing healthcare service
s in the Northern Region.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director General (DG) of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has urged mothers and caregivers to take cognisance of the health and wellbeing of their children, particularly, their vaccination and nutritional needs.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye said being conscious of the progress of babies and adhering to their nutritional needs and growth rate was key to ensuring total protection, to safeguard the future of these children.

The DG gave the advice when the GHS and partners toured the Child Welfare Clinics (CWC) at Abokobi and Agbogba Health and outreach Centres in the Ga East Municipality.

The monitoring formed part of activities to respectively commemorate the African Vaccination Week, Child Health Promotion week and COVID-19 campaign week, and him to familiarise with activities at the various facilities.

The first point visited was at Abokobi Health Centre and Child welfare Clinc (CWC) and later visited the Agbogba outreach centre, being operated within a Church premises, with services render
ed including; immunisation, weighing, education and counselling on nutrition and family planning, Covid-19 vaccination, and Births registration.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye interacted with the health workers at the facilities, commended their efforts, and encouraged them to improve upon their services, while advising the mothers and caregivers to pay attention and take keen interest in the development of their children.

He emphasised the need to intensify education and counselling on vaccination, nutrition, and family planning services for caregivers to enhance their knowledge on knowing what to do at the right time.

‘It is important to check the growth rate of their children, checking to see if the child is doing well or not, educating them on the type of food to eat and when to eat is very critical,’ he said.

Briefing the media, Dr Kuma-Aboagye said it was necessary for the sector to monitor the progress of the CWC and the various services being offered to the people, to identify progress, challenges, and the way f
orward for health sector growth.

He said by observation, the municipality which was a densely populated area needed more outreach centres to beef up operations for better reach to all the communities within the area.

The team also visited the Taifa Community, also within the Ga East municipality, where COVID-19 vaccines were being administered, as part of the COVID-19 vaccination week campaign.

‘This is the usual campaign to achieve herd immunity. We set a target of 20.7 million to be fully vaccinated, which will ensure adequate protection for all,’ he stated.

‘So far, we have had about 57 per cent of the population fully vaccinated and 71 who have taken one short only, which means that we still have a large population to cover to ensure total protection for all citizenry, the embarking on the campaign to capture everyone just as the routine vaccination on child welfare,’ he added.

Dr Frankline Asiedu Bekoe, the Director of Public Health, GHS, also entreated the mothers and the public to adhere to the sa
fety protocols while urging them to come out in their numbers to take the jabs, as the highly trusted measure of preventing the diseases.

He said the virus was still existent, hence, accepting the vaccines and adhering to the protocols were necessary.

The Director General was accompanied by Dr Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, the Director of Public Health, Dr Kwame Amponsa-Achianu, Programme Manager for the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) and Dr Marion Okoh-Owusu, the Director of Health Promotion.

The rest were Dr Michael Adjabeng, the Surveillance Officer, World Health Organisation (WHO) Ghana, Dr Akosua Agyeiwaa Owusu- Sarpong, the Greater Accra Regional Director of Health, and Dr Selorm Botwe the Municipal Health Director, Ga East, among others.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Tamale North Chapter of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International (FGBMFI) has donated 50 pieces of bedsheets to the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH).

The items, presented to Ward Three of the Internal Medicine Department of the hospital, were to address the shortage of bed sheets in the ward.

Mr Emmanuel Morna, President, Tamale North Chapter of FGBMFI, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency following the donation, stated that it was a mandate inspired by the fellowship’s Christian beliefs and principles drawn from the Bible.

He mentioned that one of their members, who worked at TTH, brought to their attention the shortage of bed sheets in the ward, which they considered important to address.

Dr Samuel Alomatu, Acting Head of Unit for Ward Three of Internal Medicine Department, who received the items on behalf of the hospital, expressed gratitude to the association for the gesture describing it as timely.

He said the ward had old, torn bed sheets, which were insufficient and required
replacement.

He indicated that ward three had a capacity of 64 beds, and the donated bed sheets could cover more than half of them.

Mr. Alomatu further noted that the ward lacked many other essential items that could enhance health delivery and appealed to the generosity of society to emulate this kind gesture.

Some other items he appealed for were glucometers, potable blood pressure checkers and ECG machines.

Madam Madina Mahamoud, Deputy Director, Internal Medicine at TTH, expressed concern over patients lying on beds without bedsheets when the available ones were being washed.

She indicated that the situation was not conducive for health delivery as it made patients uncomfortable, stating that providing bedsheets facilitated better care delivery as patients would be more comfortable on their beds

The Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International is a non-denominational Christian fellowship aimed at inspiring its members to embody and share the teachings of the Gospel.

Source: Ghana News Agenc
y

Mr Isaac Mensah, a patient suffering from ‘hemiparesis of the upper extremities and paralysis of the lower extremities’ has appealed for support to help him undergo surgery.

Mr Mensah requires GHS57,830 to undergo the decompression of the cervical spine stabilisation at the Wenchi Methodist Hospital in the Bono Region.

Mrs Mary Mensah, the wife of the patient, made the appeal through the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani on Monday.

She said specialists needed the money urgently, and therefore appealed for support from churches, religious leaders, corporate bodies, and individuals, to help address the health challenges of her husband.

An enclosed letter signed by Emmanuel Denteh, the Head of Department, Orthopedic Ward, Wenchi Methodist Hospital and made available to the GNA said, ‘the patient has been reviewed to have a C5 fracture secondary to fall at work.’

The intended surgery is aimed at making him capable of sitting upright, to undertake physiotherapy and rehabilitation to improve body function.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Cancer Care for Humanity International, an NGO, has undertaken a sensitisation programme for persons living with disabilities (PwDs) in Tamale to commemorate this year’s Mother’s Day celebration.

The event, which brought together persons with visual and hearing impairment affiliated with the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD), was used to provide free breast cancer and other medical screening, as well as sensitisation on the causes, effects, and treatment of the diseases.

Mrs Gifty Sarfo Annan, an Oncology Nurse Specialist at Tamale Teaching Hospital and Chief Executive Officer of Cancer Care for Humanity International, said the event formed part of the organisation’s commitment towards enhancing awareness creation on cervical and breast cancers, and how to take precautionary measures to avoid its occurrence and spread.

She said over the years, PwDs among other vulnerable groups in the country had not been given adequate information on breast cancer and its related issues, which adversely a
ffected their health.

Mrs Annan said breast cancer was a major killer of women in the country, explaining that those who excessively consumed alcohol and those with late childbearing (first childbirth birth after 40 years), were among those at high risks of developing the disease.

‘Even, the fact that you are a woman and having breast also puts you at the high risks of getting breast cancer,’ she said.

Mrs Annan said breast cancer treatment was quite expensive, especially for PwDs and other vulnerable groups, and urged them to prioritise periodic screening and early treatment to avoid any medical complications.

She appealed to government to prioritise establishing a radiotherapy centre in the Northern Region to enable more women have access to breast cancer treatment in the area.

Mrs Abubakari Sahadatu Nimatu, the Northern Regional President of GFD, said the exercise was crucial and timely because most PwDs lacked sufficient information on the disease.

She said, ‘There are instances where our members co
uld not also access medical care at health facilities because of lack of sign language interpreters.’

She appealed to the government to increase the number of sign language interpreters at the various health facilities across the country to enhance inclusive health care delivery.

Madam Mohammed Latifa, who received her first ever breast cancer screening and sensitisation during the exercise, commended Cancer Care for Humanity International for the exercise and pledged to periodically screen her breast to be sure of her status.

A total of 41 women were sensitised and screened at the end of the exercise whilst two others, who were suspected of having breast lumps, were referred to the Tamale Teaching Hospital for further examination and treatment.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Provost of the College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana, Rev. Prof. P. F. Ayeh-Kumi has entreated 2024 Graduating students of Family Health University College Medical school to let the tuition they received reflect in their actions.

He also urged them to be unique, be different and do things well, build a career, be creative and above all, be imaginative and mentally sharp.

‘Listen, if you want to be successful in life, then you must seek for wisdom, experience, expertise. Think about quality, think about branding, think globally, think generation, think about other people, think about the future. Successful people are oriented. It is my hope that you will apply these indicators in your life’.

Rev. Prof. P. F. Ayeh-Kumi was addressing students to mark the 2024 Matriculation and Graduation ceremony at Family Health University College (Ghana’s Premier Private Medical School).

He commended the Founder of Family Health University College and President of Family Health Medical School, Prof. Ya
o Kwawukume and his team for the good work they were doing saying, FHUC was changing everyday as the environment gets better each time which he said, was a wonderful achievement.

To the Graduands, he cautioned them that, the field of medicine was ever evolving, demanding professionals who were not only skilled but adoptable, compassionate and forward thinking. ‘Throughout your time at Family Health University College, you have been equipped with knowledge, skills and values that embody this vision of a future health care professional’.

Rev. Prof. P. F. Ayeh-Kumi tasked them to approach patients with empathy and listen to their stories, fears and hopes, recognizing that everybody was unique and deserving a personalised care.

The health care landscape he mentioned, was constantly changing as new discoveries and advancements, reshaping the way diseases were treated and understood. ‘As future health professionals, your commitment to continuously, will be crucial in providing the best possible care to your pati
ents’.

The future health care professionals according to Rev. Prof. P. F. Ayeh-Kumi, must be a collaborator working together with others, working with the interdisciplinary to address complex needs of patients.

To the matriculants, he advised them to remember that, learning was a field that kept changing and it was a field with challenges and opportunities saying, they should be believing in themselves, trust in their abilities and know that they had the power to make a difference in the world.

The Founder of Family Health University College and President of Family Health Medical School, Prof. Yao Kwawukume in a welcoming address revealed that, the school was witnessing extensive development in infrastructure on campus, improved support services for students including counselling services and recreational facilities, enhanced use of ICT in teaching and learning, improved security, increased research activities by faculty and students, increased number of faculty and administrative staff, among other develo
pments.

‘While we jubilate over the things that we have achieved so far, we are also conscious of the things that we are yet to achieve and are re-strategising to ensure they are materialized.

Issues of accommodation and support for needy but brilliant students remain a challenge in the university college. We will therefore use this opportunity to invite stakeholders and other partners to assist FHUC plan towards its accommodation issues. Currently, the FHUC endowment fund has also been launched and we welcome donations from all and sundry’.

Prof. Kwawukume challenged the Graduands to remain steadfast in their commitment to excellence and embrace the opportunities that comes in their way, and never to lose sight of the impact they can have on the lives of others. ‘Always remember that if you can find the courage to try, you will succeed’.

Pro. Kwawukume encouraged the Graduands to uphold their core values of leadership, integrity, lifelong learning, innovation, compassion, inclusiveness and team work as t
hey are relevant, not only to the profession they have chosen, but also to their overall success as an individual; abide by the University College’s rules and regulations so that together we can maintain the good name of the institution.

This year he indicated, marked the final year of the five-year strategic plan set out by the University College to address some of its challenges and enhance its relevance and vibrancy. ‘We are bold to Say that majority of the goals set out in the plan have been achieved’.

He congratulated both the Graduands and the matriculants for working hard to be at Family Health University College.

Mbanya Kamkeng, Naomi received the Prize for Overall Best MBChB Graduating Student, Best Graduating Student in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Best Graduating Student in Medicine and Therapeutics, and Best Graduating Student in Clinical Studies.

Tang Jeron Peter also received the Overall Best Student for Level 100 in BSc Medical Sciences, Best Student in Anatomy, Best Student in Biochemis
try, Best Student in Physiology, Overall Best Student for Level 200 in BSC Medical Sciences, and the Overall Best Student in BSC Medical Sciences.

Also at the ceremony were, Dr. Susu Bridget Kwawukume, Founder/Chief Medical Director of Family Health Hospital, the Registrar, Mrs. Rita Kaine, Dr. C.E. Fleischer-Djoleto, Dean of FHMS, Brig. Gen. Daniel Kwadjo Frimpong (RTD), Chairman of Council, Dr. Koma Jehu-Appiah, Prof. Julius Fobil (Provost, CHS, UG), Dr. Emmanuel K. Labram, Dr. Patience Aniteye, Rev. Father Andrew Campbell, Teshie Mantse, President of the Teshie Traditional Council, Gbetsoolo Nii Ashitey Akomfra III and Mr Benjamin Narteh Ayiku, MP for Ledzokuku Constituency.

FHUC graduated 48 students; 33 with BSc. Medical Science, and 15 GEMP students with Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB ChB) degree.

60 freshmen and women matriculated, out of which 42 partook in the White Coat ceremony.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Personnel of the Kadjebi District Directorate, Ghana Health Service, has vaccinated 958 people, representing 63.9 per cent of its target population of 1,500, during the just-ended 10th National COVID-19 Vaccination Day exercise.

The nationwide event was from Sunday, May 5 to Thursday, May 9, 2024.

The Directorate targeted 1,500 people to be vaccinated against the disease within the period, but ended with 958, leaving a deficit of 542.

Mr Derrick Jack Atitsu, the Coordinator, Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview at Kadjebi, said the reason for the shortfall would be known during a yet-to-be convened review meeting with the vaccinators.

He disclosed that the district earlier dosed 34,266 people, representing 68.7 per cent of its target population of 49,882.

Of the 34,266 people dosed, 28,311, representing 56.8 per cent, were fully vaccinated against the COVID-19.

He appealed to those yet to be vaccinated to get the jab as early as poss
ible as the disease is real.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The third West Africa Pharma and Healthcare Expo opened in Accra, with the government pledging to make Ghana’s pharmaceutical hub the biggest on the African continent.

Dr Benard Okoe Boye, the minister-designate of health, who opened the conference and exhibition on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo on Wednesday, stated that the government remained committed to leveraging the potential of e-pharmacy and digital health to transform healthcare delivery.

The two-day Expo, held at the Accra International Conference Center, is expected to provide an opportunity for the pharmaceutical industry to explore the transformative potential of e-pharmacy and digital health delivery in West Africa.

According to Dr Oko Boye, statistics reveal that digital advancements like expo telemedicine and mobile health applications are changing the way people get healthcare services.

‘In West Africa, mobile penetration stands at over 80 per cent indicating a vast potential for leveraging digital platforms to improve
healthcare access and delivery,’ he said.

Commenting on the Expo’s theme, ‘E-pharmacy and Digital Health,’ Dr Oko Boye emphasized the need for the pharmaceutical industry to embrace e-pharmacy to enhance efficiency, accessibility, and affordability within healthcare systems.

‘With over 50 per cent of Africans having access to the internet, digital health solutions have the potential to overcome long-standing barriers and ensure that quality healthcare is accessible to all citizens, regardless of geographical location or socioeconomic status,’ he said.

Dr. Okoe Boye stated that a recent regional assembly in Dakar, which focused on pharmacy practice regulation and electronic pharmacy, highlighted the importance of member countries embracing and adopting a National Electronic Pharmacy Platform concept.

He said Ghana’s National Electronic Pharmacy Platform ecosystem had reached 226 operational electronic pharmacies as of August 2023.

However, data privacy has remained a worry in e-health, with reports indica
ting that just forty per cent of healthcare businesses have strong data security mechanisms in place.

Mr Harrison Abutiate, CEO of Ghana National Chamber of Pharmacy, said the Expo would champion pharmaceutical excellence in Ghana and beyond.

He said the chamber’s pharmaceutical business groups include 343 pharmaceutical importers, 1,500 pharmaceutical wholesalers, 5,000 pharmaceutical retailers, over 19,000 over-the-counter medicine sellers, and 500 small-scale manufacturers.

Mr Abutiate said the chamber was poised to contribute its part to advance e-health services in the country and beyond.

Mr. Thomas James, the Chief Executive of WegVoraus, organizers of the Expo said exhibitors from India, Ghana, Turkey, Pakistan, USA and Italy are participating in the exhibition.

‘The exhibition would serve as an avenue for pharmaceutical manufacturers, importers and suppliers to partner with each other to improve investment in the industry,’ he said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has announced that AstraZeneca vaccines would no longer be administered in the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director-General of the GHS, stated that the Service had not purchased the AstraZeneca Vaccines in the last two years and urged those who had already taken them not to panic.

He gave the assurance when he toured some health facilities in Ga East as part of the COVID-19 Vaccination and Child Health Promotion Week/African Vaccination Week Campaign.

This follows reports in international media that AstraZeneca had withdrawn its COVID-19 vaccination worldwide, admitting that the medication could cause very rare but life-threatening complications.

In Ghana, a total of 10, 545, 038 AstraZeneca vaccine doses were administered.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye suggested that AstraZeneca’s decision to withdraw their COVID-19 vaccines from the global market was driven by commercial considerations.

He assured that no adverse events had been reported because of
administering AstraZeneca shots in the country and that the only vaccine now available in the system was Johnson and Johnson.

AstraZeneca, formerly known as Covishield, a British-Swedish company, withdrew its EU marketing authorization for the vaccine, Vaxzevria, in 2021.

The authorisation is the approval to market a drug in the EU’s member states. The withdrawal was due to a ‘surplus of available updated vaccines’ against new variants of the novel coronavirus, the company said.

Dr. Micheal Adjabeng, Surveillance Officer for the World Health Organization Ghana, stated that his office, in collaboration with the Food and Drugs Authority, would ensure that the best vaccine was available to the public.

The country recorded five active COVID-19 cases recently.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) and partners under the Ministry of Health have reminded members of the public about the ongoing National COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign (NaCVaDs).

The national campaign, which will end on May 9, is aimed at increasing the immunisation of Ghanaians against COVID-19, by vaccinating them with the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

Eligible individuals for vaccination include those aged 18 years and older, who were yet to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, individuals, who have not completed their vaccination series, and those, who have not received booster doses.

It is the 10th round of the national vaccination and has as its theme: ‘Protect Yourself, Protect Your Family, Get Vaccinated Against COVID’19’.

Dr Abdulai Abukari, Northern Regional Director of Health, speaking at a press briefing in Tamale on the situational update of COVID-19 in the region, said it was important for particularly people of the region to take part in the exercise.

He said the region had undertaken nine rounds
of National COVID-19 immunisation and 18 rounds of Global Communities’ Supported Regional COVID-19 vaccination campaigns.

He said, ‘The vaccination will take place at health centres and at temporary posts set up in schools, markets, churches, bus stations and even house -to-house in your neighborhood to vaccinate all eligible persons’.

Dr Abukari urged Ghanaians, who were yet to be vaccinated, to do so to build immunity against the disease, saying that COVID-19 could escalate in the accumulation of a sizeable population of non-immune individuals.

He said 293 teams of vaccinators, volunteers and 67 supervisors at different levels had been recruited and trained to undertake the vaccination exercise for the campaign period.

He said even though the national response to the pandemic had gained significant improvement over the past four years, cases were recorded globally, underscoring the need for Ghanaians to be vaccinated.

He said the COVID-19 vaccines were safe and free of charge, adding that all one neede
d was to present any national identification card as prove of citizenship.

He said contrary to the myths against the potency of COVID-19 vaccination, vaccines had helped the world to put the pandemic under control and urged members of the public to receive the vaccines and encourage others to do so.

Mr Fuseini Mahama, Northern Regional Coordinator of Expanded Programme on Immunisation, said the region’s management of the disease was commendable.

He said, ‘The response to the COVID-19 in the Northern Region is implemented within the framework of the national response and coordinated by a multi-sectoral Regional Public Health Emergency Management Committee (RPHEMC) under the chairmanship of the Regional Minister.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Rural Initiatives for Self-Empowerment Ghana (RISE-Ghana), a non-government organisation, has underscored the urgent need to invest in midwives to improve maternal and child healthcare and adapt to climate change and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

According to the RISE-Ghana, climate change was affecting healthcare delivery globally and locally and there was a need to invest in midwives to adapt climate resilient solutions to ensure positive maternal and child health outcomes and contribute to protect the environment.

This was in a statement to commemorate this year’s International Day of the Midwife on the theme ‘Midwives: A Vital Climate Solution’ and copied to the Ghana News Agency, by Mr Awal Ahmed Kariama, Executive Director, RISE-Ghana.

‘RISE-Ghana joins the rest of the world to salute midwives across the globe and particular those working under difficult conditions to deliver quality services to mothers and babies.

‘This year’s team could not have come at a better time than n
ow when climate change poses the greatest health challenge evidenced by increased heatwaves and natural disasters which sadly disproportionately affects women and babies,’ it said.

The statement revealed that there was evidence that healthcare services were responsible for five percent of greenhouse gas emissions globally, adding that midwives had huge potentials to adapt health systems and advance local and international targets to lower carbon emission.

‘Their vital solutions to climate change can be seen and felt in many respects, for instance, midwives deliver environmentally sustainable health services and play a key role in making health systems more climate resilient,’ it added.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Dominic Yeboah, the Upper East Regional Cordinator for the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), says the Region has attained herd immunity against COVID-19.

He said a total of 806,688 representing 91.9 percent of residents had taken at least a dose of the vaccine which gave them some level of immunity out of 877,624 targeted population in the Region.

Mr Yeboah in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga, said ‘Those who have taken full doses that we can be very sure of their immunity, at the optimum level, are 723,820 representing about 82.5 percent of the population.

‘So technically, in Public Health, if you vaccinate above 80 percent, we say you have attained herd immunity; meaning a lot of people are covered and there is the possibility that even if the organism is found in circulation, it would not be able to cause serious disease outbreak,’ he said.

The EPI Coordinator said even though a lot of residents had received COVID-19 vaccines in the Region
, it was important for them to take booster and additional doses to maintain their immunity levels.

‘There is the need to sustain the gains that we have made over the years, so that we can all be safe. The fact that COVID-19 is declared not a public health emergency, does not mean the virus does not exist,’ he said.

Asked if there was any recorded case of the virus in the Region as recorded in Greater Accra, Mr Yeboah said ‘We have not recorded any case, but then, our population is mobile, people move around, so we cannot tell when anyone can pick the virus. That is why we undertake vaccination exercises from time to time’.

Speaking on the five-day ongoing 10th national COVID-19 vaccination exercise in the Region, which began on May 5, 2024, the EPI Coordinator said despite some challenges including the unwillingness of residents to patronize the vaccines, the exercise had started smoothly across all 15 Municipalities and Districts in the Region.

He said 176 teams were deployed across the 15 Municipalitie
s and Districts to vaccinate a targeted population of 21,000 who required any of the doses, including booster doses.

He disclosed that as of the second day of the vaccination exercise, a total of 2,527, representing 12 percent of the targeted population was vaccinated.

Mr Yeboah said some members of the public who hitherto resisted the vaccines owing to some rumours about the vaccines, eventually dispelled the rumours after they realized the vaccines were good and protected them from the virus.

‘Just that it takes us a lot of time for us to engage and get their buy-in so I urge the public that COVID-19 is not completely off the hook. There is the need to continue to vaccinate to keep ourselves protected,’ he said.

He said the Region had enough Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccines to cater for the five-day exercise and indicated that pregnant women and people under 18years were eligible for the vaccine.

‘Apart from pregnant women and people under 18years, any individual above 18years, even if they have o
ther health conditions, they can still take the vaccine,’ the EPI Coordinator said.

He said even though some intense COVID-19 protocols were relaxed, the use of nose masks and adherence to hand washing protocols should be part of residents to check Respiratory Tract Infections (RTI) and other disease conditions.

‘If for nothing at all, hand washing, use of nose masks and hand sanitizers should not necessarily be used because of COVID. The protocols are there to prevent other conditions as well and advisable we heed to it so that we can get protected from other diseases,’ Mr Yeboah said.

Source: Ghana News Agency