Accra schools on coronavirus red alert

Some schools in Accra, have taken measures to sensitize students of the Coronavirus (COVID19) and has provided hand washing buckets (Veronica Buckets) to avoid the spread of the virus.

These interventions are been made, following the announcement of Ghana’s first two confirmed cases by the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, through a press statement issued last Thursday.

Madam Lydia Bamfo, Headmistress, Independence Avenue 1 Primary and Junior High School, told the GNA in an interview that herself together with the teachers engaged their students during the morning assembly to make them aware of the outbreak.

She said, they also educated them of some dos and don’ts to prevent the spread of the virus; “some of the students were seen being careful about handshakes and covering their nose with handkerchiefs hence the call to address their fears.”

She said, the school had provided Veronica Buckets at vantage points to encourage students to wash their hands frequently.

The Headmistress, also took the opportunity to educate food vendors within the school compound of the outbreak and basic health practice such as hand washing, covering of nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing amongst others.

At the Bishop Girls School on the High Street, GNA reporters observed that some Veronica Buckets had been positioned along the corridors for both students and teachers to use in hand washing.

It is advisable to be guided by the following precautionary measures: regular and thorough washing of hands with soap under running water and use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, avoid shaking of hands;

Keep a distance of at least two meters from a person with fever, cough, sneezing and difficulty in breathing, be physically active, drink plenty of water, eat healthy food, avoid stress and have enough sleep.

Meanwhile, the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi last Friday, held a simulation exercise to test its readiness to handle cases of the 2019 novel Coronavirus.

The simulation exercise was carried out by medical officers from the Emergency Medicine Directorate, Infectious Disease Unit of the Internal Medicine Directorate, Public Health and the Quality Assurance Units.

According to the management of the hospital, the exercise was “very successful” according to independent experts who assessed who were “drafted to observe the proceedings and evaluate its compliances with the established protocols for handling such cases.”

A statement released by the Public Affairs Units of the hospital, stated that the exercise was purely a dress rehearsal and was in compliance with the hospital’s emergency preparedness protocols.

The statement noted that, although the hospital is doing everything possible to enhance its state of readiness for the management of COVID-19 cases within the constraints of its limited resources, it is critical that members of the public take personal steps to protect themselves from contracting the virus.

“The hospital will encourage members of the public to comply with all the standard precautions outlined by the Ministry of Health by regularly washing their hands with soap under running water, using alcohol-based sanitizers and refraining from touching their faces,” the statement said.

“Avoiding large gatherings and reporting all suspected cases promptly to health facilities are also crucial for preventing the spread of the disease, the statement added.

There are two confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ghana.

The patients had returned from Norway and Turkey.

One of the patients was later disclosed as a top official of the Norwegian Embassy, while the other is a Ghanaian staff of the United Nationals Development Programme (UNDP).

The Embassy and the UN offices in Accra, have currently closed down as staff have been asked to self-quarantine.