The Health Advisor to the President, Dr. Anthony Nsiah-Asare has disclosed that, Ghana is ready to adopt COVID-19 vaccines as and when they come into existence.
However, he said only vaccines that have been tested in manufacturing jurisdictions and approved by global and regional vaccines approving bodies, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the West African Health Organization (WAHO), and verified locally to be safe for use, would be adopted.
Speaking to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital’s virtual commemoration of Emergency Week, he refuted rumors that the recent yellow fever mop-up vaccination was a COVID-19 vaccine testing and trial in disguise, an issue which had generated some public agitation.
He noted that, government had no intentions to try any COVID-19 vaccine on Ghanaians.
Dr. Nsiah-Asare further indicated that in the interest of public health, government was in constant talks with the WHO and WAHO to ensure that Ghana was not left out.
Additionally, he said the National Information Technology Advisory Council, a technical committee set up to oversee the introduction and use of vaccines in the country, has commenced working hand-in-hand with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to ensure that, proper communication is done as well making sure that only efficacious and safe vaccines are brought and used in the country.
“We are looking at all vaccines coming into the country, more importantly the risk communication aspect of vaccine introduction. The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has also charged us to facilitate the local content in bridging the local vaccine needs.”
“What we are looking for is a vaccine that is efficacious, safe and will be accepted by all. We are already aware of the anti-vaccine campaigners and so we are doing our homework well to address all their concerns.”
Dr Nsiah-Asare said, government was looking beyond the challenges of the global pandemic by leveraging the opportunities presented by the coronavirus disease, to build a more robust and better responsive healthcare delivery system.
In doing so, government was focusing on expanding health infrastructure and the capacity of healthcare professionals.
The presidential advisor said, new infectious disease centers that would also be used as teaching facilities were being set up.
The Medical Director of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Dr Emmanuel Srofenyo, said emergency medicine services were critical to the delivery of quality health care.
He noted that, the critical role of that branch of medicine became even clearer from the onset of COVID-19.
Dr. Srofenyo said it was therefore laudable that,the Emergency Medicine Services Department of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital organized the commemoration to dialogue on improving emergency care, letting the public appreciate the role and importance of emergency services.
He said efforts were currently underway to make the emergency services department are top-notch, to enable the hospital to improve on the quality care it was rendering to the public.
The Greater Accra Regional Health Director, Dr. Charity Sarpong, expressed gratitude to the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, for facilitating adequate stocks of personal protective equipment to protect themselves and the public.
She appealed to health workers to continue to adhere to the COVID-19 and infectious disease safety protocols in the discharge of their duties to protect themselves, their patients and the general public.
