Resource Ministry to boost COVID-19 prevention efforts - Minority

The Minority in Parliament has called on the government to release adequate funds to the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to enhance national preparedness to prevent, contain and manage any potential outbreak of the COVID-19.

It said with the staggering number of casualties from the deadly viral disease globally, the government must consider the disease as a potential national crisis that needed adequate funding to allow the ministry to implement various preparedness activities.

It mentioned some of the activities to include the construction and completion of quarantine centres, the procurement of adequate protective clothing for frontline health personnel, hand-held thermometers and disinfectants and awareness creation on the disease.

Out of the GH¢35 million budgeted to boost the fight against the disease in the country, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has received GH¢2.5 million.

Minority Leader

The Minority Leader, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, and the Ranking Member on the Health Committee, Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, made the call in Parliament yesterday when the Minister of Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, appeared before Parliament to brief the House on Ghana’s preparedness to prevent, contain and manage any possible outbreak of the COVID-19.

WHO report

The Minority Leader cited a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) assessment team which revealed that there was inadequate funding to implement various preparedness activities in Ghana.

He, therefore, urged the government to make the necessary resources available to the MoH.

“If you have a budget of GH¢35 million and you have only GH¢2.5 million, it is nothing to celebrate about, considering how much is available to Ghanaians in Wuhan in China since December 31, 2019 when the disease broke out,” he said.

Mr Iddrisu, who is also the MP for Tamale South, said the WHO report showed that in relation to a rapid response team, Ghana was only 30 per cent ready, with its preparedness in case management being zero.

“Therefore, more funding is necessary and compelling, and must be treated as an emergency,” he added.

On the advice of the Minister of Health that Ghanaians must observe basic sanitary practices, such as washing of hands under running water and with soap to stop the spread of the disease, he said the Tema General Hospital had, in the last four weeks, been struggling with water supply, a development that could make it difficult to adhere to the advice.

Lack of commitment

Mr Akandoh told the House that global statistics on the viral disease were scary, and that about 85,000 people had been infected, while about 3,000 had died, the reason Ghana needed to pursue strong measures to combat the disease.

“Mr Speaker, it brings to question the commitment of the government as far as this COVID-19 is concerned. As a country, we do not have the luxury of time to go at our own pace because this virus travels at the speed of light,” he said.

Majority Leader

However, the Majority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, said it was almost impossible for Ghana to have 100 per cent preparedness, even though urgent measures were needed to enhance its readiness to handle any infection and curb the spread of fear and panic.

In his view, what the country needed most were hand-held thermometers at the various entry points, protective clothing, test kits, disinfectants, ventilators and adequate training for health personnel to handle the disease effectively.

On quarantine centres, he suggested the establishment of such centres at strategic locations across the country to handle any possible outbreak.

Response

In his response, Mr Agyeman-Manu told the House that besides the GH¢2.5 million that was voted for his outfit to procure pieces of personal protective equipment for all frontline health workers who might be engaged in the treatment and prevention of the disease, another $2 million had been allocated to the ministry for utilisation.

“We have done a tall shopping list, including ventilators and a small bus to transport suspected cases to quarantine areas,” he said.