Upgrade Covid-19 testing labs to target Marburg – GAMLS to govt
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14th August, 2022
UPGRADE COVID-19 TESTING LABORATORIES TO TARGET MARBURG: GAMLS ADVISES
The Ghana Health Service has reported of three (3) cases of Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) as of 4th July 2022. In all, 198 contacts were identified, isolated and managed. It is the first of its kind to be recorded in the Country. The speed with which the cases were identified, diagnosed, treated and managed by the Ghana Health Service, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the professionals including Medical Laboratory Scientists is worth commending. The risk of this infectious disease is heightened further because of its occurrence with global COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS) is urgently calling on government to take advantage of the perceived controlled state of the Marburg virus disease to strategically improve capacity of some COVID-19 testing laboratories across the various zones/belts of the country. This will help to promptly test to identify cases and initiate the processes involved in preventing and controlling such infectious diseases.
GAMLS has undertaken risk and need assessment of the various laboratories that were developed to test for COVID-19. In the view of the professional body, such capacity building is the best way to be prepared to handle the Marburg virus disease, outbreak of Monkey pox and other infectious diseases that are lurking around our neighbouring countries or may face us in the near future.
We encourage Ghanaians to observe the preventive measures and respond positively to precautions outlined by the disease surveillance unit of the GHS to report all illness to the nearest health facility.
They should be assured that Medical Laboratory Professionals are ready to devote themselves to serve as was seen with the management of the COVID-19 pandemic with the provided resources.
Laboratory regards,
Dr. Dennis Adu-Gyasi, FWAPCMLS (Immunol)
GAMLS, PUBLIC RELATIONS
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