Coronavirus: Noguchi calls for additional resources before cases become overwhelming

Immunologist and a Research Fellow with the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), Dr. Kwadwo Asamoah Kusi, has highlighted the need for the country to boost its resources in handling COVID-19 cases before the numbers surge again all around the world.

He shared that at the moment the labs are not overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases as the hospitals have been.

However, he believes proactiveness on the side of the government can save Ghana from more harm when the numbers become overwhelming.

He told Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show: “We always pray that we are always prepared when we are overwhelmed. As of now, the hospitals are overwhelmed but the labs are receiving normal samples so there is capacity. But we always have to prepare backups so that when things get out of hand, we can increase certain capacities.

At the moment, we have kits but you never know when things will be overwhelming so we have to start thinking of how to get additional resources. If not, we might have demand and supply problems when the numbers go up all around the world. So, this is the time to plan and do all we can for back up”.

The country’s National Case Management Coordinator for Severe and Critical Covid-19 cases, Dr. Christian Owoo, has disclosed that critical cases are rising at an alarming rate. He added that the system may soon be overwhelmed.

In recent times, concerns have been raised over the disregard for the Covid-19 protocols put in place by the government to limit the spread of the virus with mask-wearing reducing and events that potentially spread the virus being held in full swing across the country.

Ghana’s active cases stand at 2,858 with 312 deaths.