The Director General of the Ghana Health Service,Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye has indicated that, the country will take delivery of additional two million AstraZeneca vaccines by the end of May this year.
This, he says, will boost the country’s COVID-19 vaccination programme and aid government’s quest to vaccinate about 20 million Ghanaians.
He said government was making efforts to secure Cold Chain equipment capable of storing of the vaccines under negative temperatures.
Dr Kuma-Aboagye noted the Service had so far vaccinated 300,000 people since the mass vaccination programme started on March 2. He further disclosed that Ghana has so far received more than 700,000 COVID-19 vaccines for the vaccination programme.
Out of the number, 129 persons reported various adverse effects such as dizziness. Other effects include pains at the spot of the injection and mild fever after taking the vaccines.
Those who received doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines included health care workers, persons with underlying health conditions, essential service providers. People 60 years and above, and members of the security agencies, Executive, Legislature and Judiciary branches of government received theirs.
Vaccination Exercise Progress
Dr Kuma-Aboagye said the GHS targeted 570,000 people in the first phase of the vaccination. The number of people vaccinated and registered onto the electronic database system within a week, had exceeded 70 percent threshold.
Moreover, he applauded the media for intensifying sensitisation on the vaccine, which encouraged Ghanaians to voluntarily avail themselves for vaccination. Dr Kuma-Aboagye says some of the vaccines are delivered to the various health centres via Zipline Drone Delivery Service.
Additionally, he announced that a locally-developed App would soon be launched to aid in appointment and registration of people onto the electronic database system to speed up the vaccination programme.
Dr. Kumah Aboagye further said the mass vaccination exercise will continue till the end of October, this year. About 20 million Ghanaians are expected to be vaccinated although government’s ambition is to vaccinate the entire population.
Government of Ghana received its first batch of Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, under the Global Access (COVAX Facility) on Wednesday, February 24,2021.
Read More: Ghana Receives 600,000 COVID-19 Vaccine Doses
Commissioning of PCR test Centre
Meanwhile, the Ghana Health Service has commissioned a 240-capacity Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test centre at the Cape Coast Metro Hospital.
The US$120,000 state-of-the-art facility will augment efforts in providing effective, accurate and timely testing regime for COVID-19 samples in the Region. The facility, which can process a sample within 55 minutes, also takes 16 samples at a time with 240 capacity per day.
Speaking to the media after the commissioning, Dr Kuma-Aboagye said the facility came with RNA automated extraction kits and a laptop for the processing of data and results for quick communication.
He further indicated the facility would significantly ease delays and challenges associated with COVID-19 testing. This is due to the fact that samples are sometimes senr to Accra, Kumasi or Takoradi.
“The facility will go a long way to address the delays that occur in the Region as far as testing is concerned. We know that there is one in Takoradi but it’s not enough to support the Central Region.”
Dr. Kumah Aboagye
Two million two million
