Covid-19 situation now dire; scale up free, enhanced testing

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has lamented the alarming situation of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic in the country and has called on the government to scale up free and enhance testing.

After a constant increase in the number of new positive cases in the last few weeks, Ghana’s current active cases are close to hitting 6,000.

After a fourth National Executive Council meeting in Accra on July 30, 2021, the GMA in a press statement has warned that the current Covid-19 situation could even worsen.

“The Covid-19 situation in the country is alarming and dire at this particular moment especially with the rapid spread of the Delta variant in our communities.

“The risk of further exponential rises in the number of Covid-19 cases and its attendant strain on our already over stretched and fragile health system as well as the national economy cannot be overemphasized or discounted,” part of the GMA statement reads.

In its recommendation, the Ghana Medical Association has charged the government to enhance the Coronavirus testing in the communities identified as hot spots.

“The GMA calls for an urgent scale up of free and enhanced COVID testing in our communities especially in all identified COVID-19 hot spots, contact tracing as well as strict isolation and management of all infected persons at designated centres together with strict adherence and enforcement of all Covod-19 Preventive protocols to help break the chain of transmission,” the GMA release adds.

Due to the worsening situation of the pandemic in the country, the various major health facilities involved in the management of moderate, severe, and critically ill COVID-19 patients continue to see an increasing rate of infections and related deaths.

Ghanaians are urged to strictly adhere to the Covid-19 safety protocols to help the government in the fight against the pandemic.

Find below the release from the GMA after its fourth National Executive Council meeting: