COVID-19: Agormanya market clinic lacks personal protective equipment

Samuel Atter, P4H Focal person

By: Samuel Atter, People for Health (P4H) Focal person, Lower Manya Krobo

April 20, 2020

Following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Eastern regional health directorate, like many other health departments, issued a statement on March 28, 2020 outlining some precautionary measures to reduce the spread of the disease in the provision and accessing health services. The measures outlined among others include:

1. routine immunization services shall continue at static clinics
2. outreach services shall be discontinued until further notice
3. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as face masks/N95 respirators shall be provided to staff at static clinics.
4. adequate hand sanitizers must be provided for staff
5. hand washing equipment to be provided at all static sites
6. all mothers/adults and children presenting at Child Welfare Clinics (CWCs) shall go through screening, using the Triage checklist and shall wash their hands and don a face mask before being admitted to the waiting area.

However, a visit to the Clinic on April 22, by the Lower Manya Krobo DCMC reveals that although social distancing rule is complied with, the facility lacks the needed resources, including PPE and thermometer. The facility neither makes provision for handwashing for the visiting public nor provide nose masks and hand sanitizers for the health staff.

“At the moment, we are only able to comply with the directive on social distancing. There is no thermometer for temperature checks, no Veronica bucket for handwashing as well as sanitizer and face mask for staff,” said a health staff at the facility.

P4H focal person, Mr. Samuel Atter, who is also a member of the district epidemic team, managed to move one of the Veronica buckets from the market to the facility to aid handwashing.

The Agormanya market clinic operates on Wednesdays and provides health services such as Family planning and CWC to an average of 200 clients in a month.

The Coronavirus is spreading rapidly, and PPE is essential in protecting the safety of health staff in the line of duty. Meanwhile, management of the facility is yet to inform the district health authority about these challenges. As a result, the DCMC is considering leading the process of bringing the issue to the attention of the health directorate in anticipation that the required support will be provided within the shortest possible time.