Ghana government to ramp-up COVID-19 tests after receiving more kits

Ghana’s 10 testing centres will resume full testing capacity after receiving more testing kits and medical supplies.

This would help the country’s testing centres conduct between 100,000 and 300,000 sample tests in the next three months and clear the backlog of samples across the country.

Government distributed 50,000 PCR kits and close to 30,000 nucleic acid extraction kits, N95 masks, examination gloves and isolation kits, which form the basis for PCR testing regime.

Additionally, government is expecting to take delivery of about 40,000 testing kits in few days’ time to help expand six more testing centres in the northern parts of the country.

Professor William Kwabena Ampofo, the Coordinator of Ghana’s COVID-19 Testing Programme, announced this at a media briefing, to update the public on COVID-19 case count and management situation.

The country’s COVID-19 testing programme suffered a setback two weeks ago following the shortage of some testing reagents and medical supplies.

“I am glad to report that as I mentioned in the previous briefing, the 10 existing testing sites have received enough supplies to enhance testing at these sites and distribution has already been done.

“We have procured examination gloves, nucleic acid, isolation kits and the PCR detection kits.

There is a detailed plan to strengthen the country’s PCR testing capacity using the GeneXpert platforms.

We have identified six new testing sites especially in the northern parts of the country to boost sample tests,” Prof. Ampofo stated.

Source: GNA