The Managing Director of Nyaho Medical Centre has said government should control prices of items used to protect health workers and the broader population during the coronavirus pandemic.

“The reality is that at least we are paying double and sometimes triple for a number of things which should not be the case,” he told Daniel Dadzie on the Super Morning Show, Thursday.

He explained that there needs to be protection in terms of value for money on the cost of goods, especially critical care goods.

Citing examples, he said for things like "thermometer guns which are used for no contact, the reality is that we are not manufacturing that locally and we have to import it."

Prices of hand sanitisers have sky rocketed after the country recorded its first two cases of the novel coronavirus. Then followed the prices of essential goods on the market after news of an imminent lockdown made the headlines.

Prices of goods increased from 100 per cent to about 300 per cent within a day. Prices of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) soared after the President announced the closing of the country's borders to contain the deadly virus.

With China the number one producer of PPEs and other health equipment out of the pictures people started inflating their prices.

This he Managing Director of Nyaho Medical Centre is not right.

“I think that one of the solutions is about protecting the end-user by restricting the ability to price beyond a certain amount. In a time of crisis, you need price control measures because we need to not just think about our sustainability. 

"Every business should be sustainable but it should not take advantage of a crisis,” Dr Tamaklo added.

He suggested that even though value for money is one thing to consider, the wider population's inability to protect themselves means government must step in.

Dr Tamakloe said government should have considered putting in place price control measures so people are not exploited.

“If something like a thermometer gun is used for protection, you have to put some sort of governance on it,” he said.