One medical staff at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has died of Covid-19. Details of the deceased are scanty, but JoyNews has learned the male radiographer died on July 3, 2020.
Chief Executive of KATH, Dr. Oheneba Owusu-Danso,
revealed that 170 other staff have tested positive. “We have lost one of our
staff but beyond that, we have only one staff who is admitted,” he disclosed.
He, however, indicated that 70 percent of them have since
recovered and are back to work. The death of the radiographer adds to the
public healthcare workers and high profile causalities, after the demise of
Medical Director at the Kwadaso SDA Hospital.
One staff of KATH is reported currently to be on admission, with the majority of them being managed from home. “For all these numbers, most of them have actually been taken care of from home and from their own self-isolation or self-quarantine.”
Dr. Owusu-Danso will
not give details of the deceased but says he is happy about the recovery rate
of patients.
“The cumulative figure as at this week came to about 170 but
in all these, about 70 percent of them have all come back to work. They have
fully recovered and come back to work,” he said.
Two-hundred and 30 health workers have, as of July 10, 2020,
tested positive for Covid-19 in the Ashanti region. KATH accounts for over
two-thirds of the number, many of them being nurses and doctors.
Meanwhile, Dr Owusu-Danso wants staff of the hospital to be more conscious of their safety in the face of scarcity of Personal Protective Equipment.
“I think the key thing is for us to take the responsibility into
our individual selves and protect ourselves. Our destinies, our good health are
currently in our hands,” he said.
As a first step, he urged them to use certified
locally-manufactured face masks and other protective equipments. The admonition
comes as the Multimedia Group launches the #SavetheHealthWorker initiative to
highlight the plight of caregivers.
“Admonition is for all health staff to also begin to use the
locally produced masks which have actually been tested by the Food and Drugs
Authority to be credible,” he said.
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