The Coronavirus pandemic has caused more deaths than any other single disease since the outbreak was confirmed. The World Health Organization in collaboration with national and international health agencies continues to lead the way in bracing global healthcare systems to fight the pandemic. There are variations in national capacities towards the preparedness and management of the pandemic. The Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service, continues to provide policy and operational directions towards the containment of the pandemic. The purpose of this study is to review the setup of the healthcare sector in Ghana in light of the ongoing pandemic. This study is a narrative literature review in which data was extracted from electronic databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus and Ebscohost that published Covid-19 research articles from Ghana. Literature was analyzed and discussed based on the structures and systems available in the healthcare sector, as well as trends available from the global perspective. The healthcare sector in Ghana continues to support the citizenry in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. The government provides regular updates and continue to pledge their support in dealing with the effects of the pandemic. Challenges with accessibility, workforce, funding, and infrastructure remain the major hindrances in fighting the pandemic. The government and healthcare partners need to continually reform the healthcare system to meet the increasing demand for healthcare during the pandemic.
ObjectivesDefine the services available for the care of breast cancer at hospitals in the Eastern Region of Ghana, identify areas of the region with limited access to care through geospatial mapping, and test a novel survey instrument in anticipation of a nationwide scale up of the study.DesignA cross-sectional, facility-based survey study.SettingThis study was conducted at 33 of the 34 hospitals in the Eastern Region of Ghana from March 2020 to May 2020.ParticipantsThe 33 hospitals surveyed represented 97% of all hospitals in the region. This included private, government, quasi-government and faith-based organisation owned hospitals.ResultsSixteen hospitals (82%) surveyed provided basic screening services, 11 (33%) provided pathological diagnosis and 3 (9%) provided those services in addition to basic surgical care.53%, 64% and 78% of the population lived within 10 km, 25 km and 45 km of screening, diagnostic and treatment services respectively. Limited chemotherapy was available at two hospitals (6%), endocrine therapy at one hospital (3%) and radiotherapy was not available. Twenty-nine hospitals (88%) employed a general practitioner and 13 (39%) employed a surgeon. Oncology specialists, pathology personnel and a plastic surgeon were only available in one hospital (3%) in the Eastern Region.ConclusionsAlthough 16 hospitals (82%) provided screening, only half the population lived within reasonable distance of these services. Few hospitals offered diagnosis and surgical services, but 64% and 78% of the population lived within a reasonable distance of these hospitals. Geospatial analysis suggested two priorities to cost-effectively expand breast cancer services: (1) increase the number of health facilities providing screening services and (2) centralise basic imaging, pathological and surgical services at targeted hospitals.
Background: Hepatitis-B (Hep-B) infection is a global public health problem of great concern which affects more than 5% of the local population in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study assessed students' knowledge, attitude and practices towards Hepatitis B infection and vaccination at the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ghana. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative descriptive survey was conducted among 262 Public Health students of the University of Health and Allied Science of the Volta region of Ghana, using a multi-stage sampling technique in selecting participants. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the participants. Data was analyzed using SPSS Version 20.1. Results: Study respondents were mostly males, forming 69.8% as against 30.2% of their female counterparts. All (262) respondents had knowledge on Hep-B infection and the availability of a vaccine for preventing Hepatitis infection. However, despite their knowledge of existence, the majority (56.9%) of the respondents felt they did not need to be protected from Hep-B infection. Majority (58.8%) of the total respondents have been vaccinated against Hep-B infection. The study identified the cost of vaccines as a major setback to non-vaccination. However, out of the 41.
The Coronavirus pandemic has destabilized many healthcare systems globally since the outbreak was announced. The mode of transmission of the virus has affected the traditional face-to-face mode of seeking healthcare. The world health organization recommends measures, including limiting physical contact as a means of preventing the spread of the virus. Many countries across the world are utilizing telemedicine during this pandemic to provide basic healthcare to their citizens. The implementation of telemedicine in sub–Saharan Africa has encountered many challenges. The surge in the number of covid-19 cases in Ghana calls for drastic measures to contain the repercussions of the pandemic. The Government of Ghana and other private organizations continue to scale up efforts to integrate telemedicine into the mainstream healthcare system. This study seeks to explore and provide insight into the state of telemedicine in Ghana prior to and during the Coronavirus pandemic. This study is a narrative review of literature on the use of telemedicine in Ghana. Data was obtained from PubMed, Embase, ScienceDirect, Scopus and Google Scholar. A secondary search was conducted on government of Ghana health agencies’ websites and other relevant websites that published information on telemedicine in Ghana. Literature was analysed and topically discussed based on identified themes. There is an improvement in the number of information and communication technology coordinated healthcare services in Ghana since the outbreak was confirmed. Public-private partnership is required to boost the integration of telemedicine into mainstream healthcare in Ghana.
In recent times, the showcasing of professional ethical standards at workplaces has become an imperative issue of interest in almost all professions including the health profession in general and nursing. This study investigated patient's knowledge and perception of patients on Nurses' adherence to their professional codes of ethics in Ghana, using Eastern Regional Hospital, Koforidua as a case study. A Cross-sectional survey was conducted among 400 patients at the Eastern Regional Hospital, Koforidua using a simple random sampling in selecting participants. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the participants. Females (64.8%) dominated the study and a Majority (68.5%) of respondents were between the ages of 21-40 years. Most of the respondents (83.2%) did not have any knowledge about nurses' professional code of ethics. The majority (59.8%) of patients agreed nurses do not introduce themselves with their name, title and professional role to patients. However, most of the respondents (60.3%) agreed that nurses carried out all nursing interventions and procedures with respect to preserving the patient's dignity. The respondents indicated that majority of nurses (78.5%) did not discriminate in attending to patients. Most nurses (66.0%) obtained the consent of the patient before any nursing intervention is performed. Majority of patients (83.3%) do not have knowledge of the nurses' professional code of ethics in Ghana. Ghanaians need to be sensitized on professional ethics of nurse to understand and know what is expected of nurses so they can be able to put nurses in check.
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