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About 14,450 health workers across the 18 districts and municipalities in the Volta region will be vaccinated against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
The vaccination will start from Thursday, 25 March to Monday, 29 March 2021.
The mass vaccination exercise, which forms part of the country’s phase one rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination is to ensure health workers who are a critical part of combatting the virus in Ghana are safe and in good spirits to discharge their duties.
Health workers all over the world have been at risk of the virus. A press release from the Volta Regional Health Directorate on the exercise indicated that “since the beginning of the pandemic, health workers in the Volta Region have accounted for one (1) out of six (6) infections.”
The release which was signed by Dr. Senanu Kwesi Djokoto, Deputy Regional Director in-charge of Public Health listed that the “Vaccination shall cover health workers in all Public Facilities, Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) Institutions, Health Training Institutions, Allied Health Facilities, and Private For-Profit Facilities.”
“This vaccination exercise marks the dawning of a new light in our regional and district response,’ the statement noted.
After the vaccination of the health workers, the Regional Health Directorate hopes to share details of the vaccination rollout plans for all eligible residents (public) in the region within the second quarter of this year.
To this end, the statement urged the public to hold themselves in preparedness towards this all-important exercise, so the region can join the over 483,745 eligible persons who successfully received vaccines during the phase one vaccination exercise in Greater Accra Region, Central Region and the Greater Kumasi Area.
More importantly, the relatively uneventful exercise despite the large numbers is testament to the fact that the FDA-approved vaccines for use in Ghana are safe and effective, Dr. Djokoto noted.
He further entreated the public not to lose their guard because of the vaccine but rather keep observing the safety protocols; i.e washing hands frequently, practicing social distancing, and wearing masks properly all the time.
From Fred Duodu, Ho (k.duodu@yahoo.com)