The Tema General Hospital (TGH) has conducted a simulation exercise for staff on how to handle a suspected case of the deadly coronavirus.

This follows the announcement that the Ministry of Health has designated the Tema General Hospital and the Ridge Hospital as national centres to manage possible cases of coronavirus in the country as part of preventive and control measures.

Dr Sally Quartey, Tema Metropolitan Health Director, revealing this to the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of the Tema Metropolitan Health Annual Performance Review, said a team from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) came to TGH to conduct the simulation for staff.

Dr Quartey added that staff members were taken through the importance and proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when handling a suspected coronavirus case.

She indicated that there was enough supply of the PPEs for the hospital adding that the emergency centre or isolation centre was also ready, an indication that TGH was well prepared to handle the task as one of the centres to manage a possible case.

She urged staff of the hospital and other health institutions in Tema and its environs to be on the alert to follow the guidelines of handling such cases.

She also charged both public and private health facilities in the area to make provisions for an isolation room at their premises for suspected patients while they informed the disease control unit of the directorate of the case and subsequently refer to Tema General Hospital.

Dr Quartey said because Tema was a Port city, making it one of the entry points to Ghana, everyone must be vigilant to prevent a slip through of the coronavirus into the country.

She encouraged residents to observe basic protective practices including proper hand washing with soap and running water, covering of the mouth when coughing or sneezing, having minimal contact with people especially suspected patients and reporting early to the hospital when having symptoms of the disease.

She gave the assurance that the pharmacies have all the needed drugs for managing such cases therefore people must report to the health facilities for early treatment.