Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, has stated the $150 fee charged travelers for the PCR test is comparatively affordable considering prevailing conditions in other countries.
He explained that Ghana’s PCR test is highly sensitive and produces results within the shortest possible time, as compared to the long hours of waiting associated with tests taken in foreign countries.
He added that any comparison of the fees taken should be based on a cost-benefit analysis and not speculations.
“The cost is more about the view of the service we providing at top speed and high-quality sensitive results,” he said.
Dr. Kuma-Aboagye recounted that countries such as Egypt, where it’s reported that a PCR Test is done at a fee of $30, the conditions are that passengers suffer an additional cost of lodging in a hotel or guest room for a day or two waiting for results.
“And so you have to put all that in the cost” he stressed.
Dr. Kuma-Aboagye confirmed that no positive case has so far been identified via the testing facility at the port. He mentioned that the priority is mainly to curtail the risk of importing the virus.
“Our ultimate aim is that people arrive here negative and truly negative, and that is why you do your pre-arrival test and then we confirm with another test..because people come and maybe incubating even in transit,” he added.
