The government’s National Covid-19 Response Team has decided to halt targeted mass testing for the disease.
According to the presidential advisor on Health, Dr Anthony Nsiah Asare, mass testing is not the panacea to eliminate the virus from the country, a reason it has been ended.
He added that mass testing does not make economic sense as the implications on the country’s purse is too huge to bear.
“As we know, when you are tested today and you are negative and you go in about two four days’ time, you can be positive. We will contact trace and test but it is not mass testing that will solve this problem.
“As a country we are also looking at the resources we have available and if you want to do mass testing it means almost everywhere, there will be trucks and PCR machines and people will come there for testing.
“I don’t think that should be the way to go,” Dr Nsiah Asare said when he appeared before Parliament’s Health Committee.
He assured the Response Team will continue to embark on aggressive enhance contact tracing and testing as the nation prepares for general elections in December.
Dr. Nsiah Asara also entreated MPs to be ambassadors to support the government’s efforts by intensifying health education at the various constituencies and rural communities to win the fight against Covid-19.
“The most important thing is follow the protocols once you follow the protocols and make sure that all the precautions are taken. That is more beneficial than mass testing.”
The co-ordinate for Ghana’s Coronavirus Response Programme, Dr Anarfi Asamoa-Baah who was also at the briefing lamented over some challenges associated with provisions of PPEs for health facilities.
He is pleased, however, that most of the PPEs are being manufactured in Ghana.
He also told the House that it cannot predict when the country will reach the peak of infections.
