The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has urged the government to boost the capacity of COVID-19 testing centres in the country as it considers opening the country’s international borders.
The appeal is in response to President Akufo-Addo’s 15th national address on measures taken by the government in the fight against the novel coronavirus.
In the address, Akufo-Addo mentioned that the “Ministry of Aviation, the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) have been working with the Ministry of Health and its agencies to ascertain our readiness to re-open our airport.”
He added that;
“I want to ensure that we are in a position to test every single passenger who arrives in the country to avoid the spread of the virus. The outcome of that exercise will show us the way and determine when we can re-open our border by air.
In a media engagement, General Secretary of the Association, Dr. Justic Yankson, said that the imminent reopening of the borders demands that the country’s testing laboratories are equipped to deal with the large number of people who will be coming into the country.
“Our testing capacity has to be vigorous at this point in time reason being that we will be dealing with huge numbers towards the government’s initiative of opening airports,” he said.
“We have had challenges in the past but we should all be mindful that just as the pandemic is concerned, we should be very careful about how we go about it”. he added.
The Association has also called on the government to make available more personal protective equipment (PPEs) and additional testing kits as it eases COVID-19 restrictions in the country.
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Story by: Grace Efia Ofua Arkoh | universnewsroom.com
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