COVID-19: 82% Vaccinated So Far Of Our Target – GHS
The Ghana Health Service (GHS), says it has vaccinated more than 82 percent of its target for the second phase of the COVID-19 vaccination exercise.
The GHS is therefore hopeful it will meet the full target before the exercise ends.
In an interview with Citi News, the Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye indicated that they will reduce the number of centres for the vaccination.
“As at Tuesday, we had done about 82 percent of the target, and so we will continue and at the end of the day we will take stock of how many we have done, but we will move away from the camping mode and reduce the number of sites and then the rest remaining will be given their vaccines.”
The second phase of the COVID-19 vaccination exercise commenced on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, after it was announced by President Akufo-Addo in his last national address on the government’s management of the outbreak
But this vaccination is for individuals who are due for their second jabs according to the GHS.
In an interview with Citi News, Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, said individuals who have reached the 12-week period after the first jab will be prioritized.
“We have the information and data of those who took their vaccines early and as we speak, not everybody is even qualified to get the second dose because it depends on when you had your first dose.”
“So we are going to follow the same routine to ensure that those who are due and those who are closest to the 12 weeks will be our priority until everybody is done,” he said.
What the new WHO scientific evidence has established means that after 10 days of the disease onset. Asymptomatic, or patients who do not show symptoms stand a very limited chance of transmitting the disease.
Following this new scientific evidence. The WHO has announced new discharge guidelines for COVID-19. Which many countries, including the European Union (EU) have started implementing.
The Ghana Health Service announced this on Thursday. Also they would adhere to the new discharge advisory by the WHO. And this resulted in a significant rise in the number of recoveries in Ghana.
The latest figure released by the Ghana Health Service yesterday evening showed about 10,074. Who were subjected to the latest WHO recovery guidelines have recovered. Leaving Ghana with 3558 active cases.
Prior to the new scientific evidence which informed the WHO’s new discharge guidelines. Infected persons on treatment required to record two consecutive negative tests. Before they were discharged even if they showed mild or no symptoms after 10 to 14 days.
But with new WHO scientific evidence showing that remnants of the virus in the system. Which gets too weak to be contagious after 10-14 days of mild or no symptoms. Such infected persons are now to be discharged after their first negative.
Ghana Health Service Revised Discharge Guidelines
Following the new discharge guidelines announced by the WHO. The Ghana Health Service has announced an amendment to Ghana’s COVID-19 Discharge Policy. Which is in conformity with new global guidelines.
Ghana was one of the few countries which strictly adhered to the old discharge system of allowing patients. With or without symptoms to remain at treatment centres. Until a second test came out negative before their discharge.
Also, addressing the media in Accra on Thursday, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Patrick Kuma Aboagye, said with the amendment, asymptomatic (patients without symptoms) who are admitted would be made to go home after 14 days of treatment without a second test.
He disclosed, however, that their second test, which was previously conducted at the hospital before their discharge, would now be conducted on the patient from home while they are under self-observation.
He further disclosed that under the new discharge guidelines, symptomatic patients will be on admission for 14 days and then discharged after a minimum of three days when they do not show any symptoms.
Therefore, having started implementing the new discharge policy recommended by the WHO, Dr. Aboagye said 146 patients who were discharged had been followed up and on the average, they all tested negative 14 days after their samples had been taken and that made the new policy worthwhile.
Dr Kuma Aboagye further explained that being discharged from the treatment centre did not mean one had completely recovered from the virus. He said that meant a person had gone through treatment after testing positive and had tested the first negative, was well and awaiting the second negative result to be declared recovered.
Just as the new WHO scientific evidence revealed, the Ghana Health Service boss stressed that people who were discharged posed no threat of transmitting the virus to the public so there is no need to continue to detain them at treatment centres.
Ghana’s policy of conducting a second test from home is an improvement on the new WHO guidelines which say that patients with only one negative who show no symptoms are free.
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