All public Covid-19 public testing laboratories have been directed by the Ministry of Health to conduct free covid-19 tests for residents in Ghana
This development was revealed in a statement signed by the Acting Chief Director for the Ministry Of Health, Kwabena Bodu Oku-Afari.
According to the statement, only travelers are to be charged for the covid-19 test.
“The Ministry of Health has decided that public COVID-19 testing laboratories providing walk-in services can charge only charge travellers for testing. All other walk-in requests such as ill-health, contact tracing and exposure must be done free-of-charge using public health resources,” the statement added.
Meanwhile the General Secretary for the Ghana Medical Association, Dr. Justice Yankson, mentioned that the country needs swift measures to help fight the virus considering the damage it is causing.
“The situation is dire and alarming! With the first wave, we were recording mild and asymptomatic cases, but the second wave is not like that. Almost all patients reporting to the health facilities are either severely or critically ill, unlike before and we are finding it difficult to admit them because our ICUs are almost full. It will be prudent for the masses to be cautious and continue to adhere to the preventive measures,” Dr. Justice Yankson told Ekourba Gyasi in an interview.
The country has recorded 616 new cases of the coronavirus bringing the total number of active cases to 3,813 as at Wednesday 28th January 2021.
The death toll is pegged at 377.
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Vivian Adu Boatemaa
