COVID-19 cases surge at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital

The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) has recorded a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases, raising a fresh wave of concern about the spread of the virus.

A leaked memo from the Medical Directorate of the KBTH dated September 23, 2022, said, “surveillance data from the Public Health Unit of the hospital indicate that from the week ending September 11, 2022, to the week ending September 23, 2022, the number of confirmed cases has risen from 3 to 45”.

It may be a cause of worry as the KBTH is the number one referral hospital nationwide, which also serves neighbouring countries.

The COVID-19 Data Repository by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University have also recorded an alarming rate of new infections in Ghana, which has risen from zero in the previous week to 287 as of September 26.

Management of the KBTH has subsequently embarked on new measures of containment “in response to this alarming trend of sample positivity rate among staff and patients in the hospital”.

Because of that, “a mop-up exercise for Covid-19 vaccination is being conducted by the Public Health Unit from the 22nd – 25th of September in all units, directorates, departments and sub-BMCs (UDSs) in the hospital”.

The memo further explained that the vaccination would be done on a daily basis within the specified duration.

“One mobile team visits each UDS every day within the period to offer primary vaccination and boosters to staff, patients and relatives.”

The hospital has also informed all units to intensify COVID-19 protocols to curb the trend.

The wearing of face masks, practising hand hygiene, physical and social distancing of about 2 meters and prompt isolation and testing of suspected cases are advised.

Presently, Ghana has recorded about 169000 cases, out of which 1,459 patients have died.