The government is working with stakeholders in the financial, health and pharmaceuticals sector to locally produce Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs)in the country to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
The move, which has already commenced will see the delivery of some 3.6 million face masks in the next ten days to be distributed to people especially frontline workers to help fight the disease.
Also, an additional five companies would commence sewing some PPEs this week to increase the country's inadequate stock.
Mr Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, the Minister of Health disclosed this when he received Ghana’s share of the consignment of medical supplies donated by the government of China to other 17 African countries in Accra on Monday.
Among other supplies, Ghana received about 3000 of N95 face mask used in Intensive Care Unit, 800 infrared thermometers, 10,000 protective face mask, 2500 disposable overall, 2500 medical goggles, 10,000 hand gloves and 10,000 disposable shoe cover.
Countries to benefit from the gesture aside from Ghana are Nigeria, Senegal, Gabon, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea.
The rest are Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Togo, Benin, Republic of Congo, Cape Verde, Sao Tome, and Principe.
Mr Agyemang-Manu thanked the Chines government for the support adding that the donation would help the logistics challenges facing the country was facing.
Ghana never expected to record a case of COVID-19 but unfortunately, the country had recorded cases and had observed some levels of community spread of, which the government had steps to trace and test.
“We made an effort to prevent the disease from coming to Ghana but we did not fully achieve the expected results. As a proactive measures officials are doing intensive testing in hotspots to make sure that we go after the disease. We are undertaking many measures to halt the spread,” he said.
“The systems for health in West Africa is fragile and has not positioned itself strong enough as China did so we need support from outside...but governments are responding positively to reduce the spread,”
He said going forward, it was important people begin to wear a protective mask to prevent the spread.
Mr Agyemang-Manu appealed to the public to adhere to the proactive measures outlined by health experts which include regular hands washing, observe social distancing, and staying home.
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