On shore, the health and medical team of Ghana’s Ports and Harbours Authority are still leaving no stone unturned in the fight against the COVID-19.

The team has been playing a key role in the dispensation of health services during this period of the COVID-19.

Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority has 4 main health facilities; the GPHA hospital in Takoradi, the main GPHA Clinic located in Tema community 2 and Clinic B located within the Port’s operational areas that handle first hand emergencies.

Additionally, GPHA recently completed its fully state of the art International Maritime Hospital with modern and top class medical equipment, wards and facilities and a helipad for emergency helicopter ambulance services.

All the medical and health facilities operate a 24 hour, 7 days a week services providing top class health care delivery to the port community, people of Tema, Greater Accra Region and Ghana as a whole.

The GPHA Clinic is not currently a designated treatment center for COVID-19, but continues to interface between generally sick patients, and their families, who could be potential carriers of the coronavirus.

Eye on Port gained exclusive coverage of the dealings within the GPHA Clinic associated with COVID-19.

The Clinic ensures that all clients, staff or visitors upon entrance of its facilities, observe hygiene protocols including, washing of hands thoroughly under running water with soap and the usage of alcohol-based hand sanitizers through automatic dispensers.

Special screening of all Patients on COVID-19 parameters is done to ascertain their status for effective isolation if the need be.

Isolated patients who either show symptoms of COVID-19 or have been exposed to COVID-19 infected patients, are taken to a holding area, which is restricted, where patients are detained and their samples taken.

According to Dr. Roland Dakpala, a Senior Medical Doctor at GPHA, supportive treatment is given to patients who demonstrate symptoms that require attention in order to stabilize them until test results are confirmed.

“If we support a case and we have moved the case to our holding area, we take a set of these medication and use it for management of the symptoms till the results come,” he said.

Gideon Lamptey, a Medical Laboratory Scientist took the team through the procedure for sample taking.

He hinted a high probability of expanding the holding area should the number of reported cases and other infectious diseases increase.

“We are planning towards the future, while COVID-19 is there. Diseases of public health concern always come in, so when you plan for that it is easier and it also helps us the health personnel,” he mentioned.

Dr. Roland Dakpala said all these procedures by health officials are done with strict adherence to the proper use of the Personal Protective Equipment.

He added that regular fumigation of the holding areas and other areas of contact in the clinic facility is done due to the contagious nature of COVID-19.

He emphasized that COVID-19 is not a myth so the general public should comply with all safety protocols announced by health authorities.

“We will continue to advise strongly that every citizen, still continues to take their infection prevention measures,” he encouraged.

The Matron Nurse of the GPHA Clinic, said even though they could not celebrate the Week-Long World Nursing Celebration, they will continue to play their key role in taking care of the general public against the COVID-19.

She also expressed worry over stigmatization against nurses and frontline officers during the period of the coronavirus pandemic and urged those who do so to desist from that.