The Member of Parliament for New Juaben South, Dr. Mark Asibe Yeboah has donated Gh20,000 and quantities of alcohol-based hand sanitizers to the New Juaben South Municipal Health Directorate to help in preparation to contain the spread of Covid-19 disease.
The Campaign Manager of the Lawmaker, Michael Oteng Adu who made the donation on his behalf told Starr News, the donation is to ensure that the Health Directorate prepares adequately for any eventuality amid the outbreak of Covid-19 in Ghana though Eastern Region has not recorded a positive case.
He said the MP is still mobilizing more resources to support the Health directorate. He, however, advised constituents to adhere to the preventive protocols of the disease.
The New Juaben South Municipal Health Director, Dr. Edmund Ekow Kaitoo described the donation as timely intervention at a time health facilities in the municipality were “lockdown” by lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs)and other logistics required to combat Coronavirus disease.
“We are also lockdown in terms of logistics so anyone who brings as logistics we are most grateful. We are having series of meetings but one of our biggest challenges is lack of logistics that we don’t have. Common PPEs –face masks, gloves, basic ones that we need to have we don’t have them because we don’t have money to buy them “.The New Juaben South Municipal Health Director,Dr. Edmund Ekow Kaitoo told Starr News.
He attributed the situation to months of indebtedness by the National Health Insurance Authority, NHIA, which has financially crippled health facilities in the Eastern Regional Capital.
He, however, said the municipality has been promised some quantities of PPEs to be received next week from GHS- headquarters.
The Eastern Regional Health Directorate has said in a statement issued Tuesday March 31,2020 by the Regional Health Director Dr.Mrs.Alberta Biritwum Nyarko that the region has mot recorded any Confirmed case of Covid-19.
“As a region, the number of clinically suspected cases are 28 as of 30th March 2020. Samples have been taken from all suspects and sent to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research. Test results received are 27 and all are negative for COVID -19 whilst one (1) is still pending”.
The statement added “So far, there are 4 contacts of confirmed cases being traced. These are contacts of confirmed cases in Accra and they are doing very well under self-isolation. Three (3) of them have so far tested negative and the other one returned to Accra”. The region has however now recorded one case with samples from over 200 contacts being taken for testing.
Meanwhile, some 31 returnees from Covid-19 stricken countries who are in the region have been quarantined.
At the National level, Ghana has recorded 195 confirmed cases of coronavirus with five (5) fatalities as at March 31, 2020.
President of Ghana Akufo-Addo on Friday night of March 27,2020 announced partial lockdown of the Nation’s Capital-Accra and Parts of Ashanti Region as enhanced measure to prevent increasing community spread having closed down all Borders -Land,sea and Air space.
The lockdown took effect Monday, March 30, 2020.