The Central Regional Director for Health of the Ghana Health Service, has entreated health facilities to desist from any form of mass testing for individuals or groups.
In a memo sent to all health facilities, the Director instructed that specimen should only be taken from patients who meet a strict case definition.
The memo, titled, “Way forward for COVID19 Surveillance” states that COVID 19 tests should be restricted to persons with fever or a history of fever with symptoms of respiratory tract infections like cough and difficulty in breathing in the last 14 days, who have either travelled to or resident of a location reporting person-person during the last 24 days prior to the onset of the symptoms.
It also includes persons with fever or a history of fever with symptoms of respiratory tract infections like cough and difficulty in breathing in the last 14 days before the onset of symptoms and has come in close contact with a person who has had COVID 19 or is being investigated for COVID19.
According to the directive, this is to ensure strengthening of surveillance in the region.
All suspected cases are to be treated as COVID cases till results are in, according to the directive, this is to prevent morbidity.
With the daily rise in recorded cases, there are reports of COVID19 cases overwhelming heath facilities.
In the Ashanti Region, for instance, isolation centers are reported to be full, with some infected persons being referred to the general wards.
Source: Ghanafeed.com
