In the wake of the two confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infections in Ghana, the umbrella body for nurses and midwives has advised its members to protect their lives if there are no Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at Isolation Units they have been assigned.

This advice by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives’ Association (GRNMA) to its members is contained in a seven-point statement issued on Friday, March 13, 2020.

The statement also urged all nurses and midwives in Ghana to remain alert in the conduct of their daily routine in all clinical settings especially the out-patient departments and emergency units to identify suspected cases and strictly adhere the universal procedure on infection prevention.

The statement also urged the Ministry of Health to provide the necessary logistics required to prevent the spread of the virus at the designated COVID-19 treatment centers.

“Nursing and Midwifery managers must ensure that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) are available for use by all nurses and midwives working in Isolation Units in the four designated treatment centres.

“In the event of unavailability of these logistics at the isolation centres, we strongly advise our nurses and midwives to protect their lives by removing themselves from that environment,” the statement said.

GRNMA has the largest number of frontline health care providers in Ghana.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Health announced that two cases of the fast-spreading COVID-19 have been confirmed in Ghana.

The cases, according to the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, were confirmed on Thursday, March 12, 2020.

The infected have been placed in isolation, the Minister revealed.

Read the full statement to the nurses and midwives below.