Dr Patrick Kuma Aboagye
Director-General of Ghana Health Service (GHS) Dr Patrick Kuma Aboagye, on Friday said no vaccine has been approved for the treatment of COVID-19 pandemic.
He explained that ever since the disease started many medical research centres were using enhanced and fast track approaches to get a cure.
Speaking at a COVID-19 press briefing in Accra, Dr Aboagye said, the country like other country was ready and waiting for such an opportunity to take part.
“Once there is an approved vaccine Ghana will certainly use it to treat patients. Mind you this is a global issue,” he stated.
On the issue of lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), he said because the COVIP-19 was a global crisis the PPEs were in short supply, adding, however, that the GHS would distribute more gears to frontline officers.
He said plans were advanced to increase PPEs production locally for it to be made available.
Dr Aboagye said the country currently had 203 ambulances that had ventilators and could be used in case of any emergency.
“An additional 50 ventilators has been procured of which 20 has been delivered. We are working hard to ensure that we do not get to that phase where we will need ventilators that is why we are doing enhance testing to ensure early detection of the disease,” he noted.
He advised the public to embrace voluntary testing because it was in their interest and that of their loved ones.The Director-General said the country had 42,000 testing kits and more were expected to replenish the stock.
Responding to claims that a medical officer at LEKMA, who had contracted the disease, had been abandoned, Dr Aboagye said it was false and explained that the official procedure that a positive patient was taken through had started.