Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many regular essential health services have been disrupted. Patients who would normally need care for other issues are not receiving it for reasons such as fear of contracting the virus at the doctor’s office or hospital.
Health authorities around the world are striving to restore routine health services by refocusing overstretched workforces and reinforcing COVID-19 preventive measures to reassure patients.
Avoidance of clinics and hospitals during the pandemic has become common in several African countries.
Collaborating with WHO and other partner organizations, African nations are working to ensure that the provision of essential services is a priority in their COVID-19 response, which means identifying the health services most affected by the pandemic and giving them priority attention.
In Ghana, WHO has supported efforts to maintain various essential health services, particularly the reproductive, maternal, new-born and child health services where guidelines have been issued to ensure safe and quality service delivery with minimal COVID-19 transmission risk.
So far, the measures supported by WHO have made a substantial impact to service delivery. At the beginning of the pandemic, especially during the lockdown, most of Ghana’s routine essential services came to a halt, including elective surgeries and outpatient services.
Previously down to a bare minimum, antenatal services are now running at full capacity as well as paediatric clinics, children’s clinics and child welfare clinics. Outpatient services are also working normally once again. By reassuring people that hospitals are safe, strict infection prevention and control measures, and separating COVID-19 treatment from other services, Ghana’s health workers have been able to return to their vital work of helping others.