Ghana ready to deal with coronavirus - Majority refutes Minority's claim

The Majority in Parliament has refuted claims from across the aisle that enough preparations have not been made to deal with the deadly coronavirus in event of an outbreak in Ghana.

MP for Nabdam, Dr Mark Kurt Nawaane had claimed that while measures put in place by authorities to prevent an outbreak of the virus in Ghana are in the right direction, these measures are also inadequate.

“The measures being taken by China to contain this virus show that we have done little to prepare for it. China is building a thousand-bed capacity hospital to cater for patients while we have a lot of uncompleted hospital projects here,” he said on the floor of the House on Wednesday.

But responding to these claims, MP for Ledzokuku, Dr Bernard Oko Boye said enough preparations have been made.

The facility being built by China, he said, is a holding facility not a standing hospital. He added: Ghana also has one of such facilities at the Tema General Hospital with a capacity of about 30 beds.

“China has a population of over one billion. If you do the ratio, one bed to one bed to one facility is going to serve one million people, the one at Tema is about 30-bed capacity; it is one to one million – so you have to consider the population as well,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry since the outbreak of the virus a week ago has issued alerts and guidance information to health facilities in the 16 regions in a bid to protect the citizenry.

Enhanced surveillance at various points of entry, especially the Kotoka International Airport, has begun with passengers from China going through a thorough screening.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also activated two hotlines for parents or guardians with children or wards in Wuhan, the hot spot for the virus and its environs, to contact authorities and get first-hand information on the situation on the ground.
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