article · Pan African Medical Journal
Healthcare workers in three hospitals across the Offinso North district of Ghana were surveyed between April and May 2020 to evaluate their knowledge, practice, and preparedness regarding COVID-19. Among 261 respondents, roughly two thirds demonstrated adequate knowledge of the virus, and 63.0 percent were aware of their facility preparedness measures. However, only 27.6 percent had received appropriate in-service training, and just 57.5 percent adhered strictly to infection control precautions or felt prepared and willing to manage infected patients. In addition, 62.5 percent held misconceptions regarding the aetiology of the infection, despite 77.1 percent receiving regular updates from the Ministry of Health. These findings highlight that, while general awareness was present, ongoing structured training is required to address knowledge gaps, eliminate misconceptions, and reinforce safety protocols among frontline hospital personnel.
Frontline healthcare staff require accurate information and practical preparation to protect themselves and their patients during major viral outbreaks. Revealing specific gaps in training, disease understanding, and infection control adherence allows health authorities to direct resources where they are most needed. Resolving these misconceptions through targeted instruction helps maintain safe clinical settings and improves provider confidence when treating infectious cases.
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INTRODUCTION: Ever since World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a public health emergency of international concern, Ghana is one of the most affected countries in Africa. However, the knowledge, practice, and preparedness of healthcare providers on the novel COVID-19 in the country has not been studied. This study assessed health workers' knowledge, practice, and preparedness on the current pandemic in three Ghanaian hospitals. METHODS: This multi-centre cross-sectional survey recruited 261 healthcare workers in Offinso North district between April and May, 2020, through self-administered questionnaire. SPSS version 22.0 was used for the analysis and statistical significance set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: We identified that 65.1% of the healthcare providers had adequate knowledge, 27.6% of them had received appropriate in-service training, 57.5% had adequately prepared themselves and willing to care for affected patients and 63.0% were duly aware of their facility's preparedness for the situation. Again, only 57.5% of the health workers adhered strictly to the practice of precautionary measures, and 62.5% had varying forms of misconceptions about the aetiology of the novel COVID-19. Majority (77.1%) of the respondents received regular information on the COVID-19 from the Ministry of Health, Ghana. CONCLUSION: The overall knowledge, practice and willingness of healthcare workers to handle COVID-19 were encouraging; however, this study still elucidates the knowledge gap of the professionals on the pandemic. We advocate for progressive training of staff on COVID-19, to advance the appreciation of the risks and precautionary measures and clear the misconceptions. This, we believe, would boost the confidence and increase their willingness to deliver efficiently.
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DOI: 10.11604/pamj.supp.2020.35.2.23644
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