Coronavirus: Medical staff at KATH dies; 170 others test positive

• Posted on July 15, 2020July 15, 2020
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

One medical staff at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has died of Covid-19.

Details of the deceased are scanty, but JoyNews has learnt 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 per cent 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 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 per cent 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 at 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.

By: Ohemeng Tawiah