Dr. Justice Boakye Appiah a Medical Research fellow and an immune vaccinologist, has intimated that the COVID-19 pandemic has stretched the issue of the ‘no bed syndrome’ in the hospitals in the country.
Speaking on how the current surge is being managed in the various hospitals and the challenges being faced, he revealed that, the complains about the lack of beds in the various ICU’s were no new stories describing it as an age-old issue in the country.
He further averred that evidence shows clearly that ICU centres are full and urged citizens to adhere to protocols so as not to increase the cases of infection.
Dr. Appiah touching on the vaccine and the conspiracy surrounding it, he noted that this is not the first time Ghanaians were taking vaccines making reference to Polio, Hepatitis B amongst others since childhood. He then debunked claims of the vaccine being a method of killing people as being alleged by some people.
“To bluntly say, they are all untrue. You know people have their own paranodes, past beliefs and sort of things, they are entitled to these beliefs. May be the past beliefs may have fuelled these theories.”
He further disclosed that, there is a lingering issue with the speed of the production of the vaccine but then urged citizens to throw out conspiracies and accept the virus.
Dr. Florence Koryor Akomeah, resident doctor at Korle Bu teaching hospital also speaking on how health workers were managing themselves during the pandemic disclosed that, they were currently facing challenges mainly with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE’s).
“At the height of the pandemic, we realised that, a lot of facilities didn’t have protective clothing to use. That means that the staff was constantly at risk, possibly contracting the COVID-19 and be pulled out of the work force.
She further stated that, the contraction of the virus amongst health workers will cause a deficit in the workforce of the medical professionals.
She also noted that it was as a result of the situation that her association decided to solicit for funds to procure PPE’s for facilities lacking them. She revealed the PPE’s were shared according to a logarithm of which facility needed it the most in the various regions.
She revealed that the country is currently facing PPE shortage, explaining that some health workers provide their own PPE’s.
“At some facilities, when you are going to the emergency wards, you are given some PPE’s, not exactly what you want but you are given something to go in with. But mostly with your day to day activities, you have to provide for your own personal protection.”
At least 722 new COVID-19 cases have been confirmed by the Ghana Health Service (GHS), pushing the country’s active cases to 6, 352. This takes Ghana’s total confirmed cases to 70, 768.
Eight more individuals have passed on increasing the death toll to 457 since the last update, reports the official GHS website. Health officials have recorded 63,959 recoveries. bed bed
