GMA wades in on COVID- 19 death figures- confirms theghanareports.com story
Barely 24 hours after theghanareport.com made startling revelations about the government massaging COVID-19 related deaths data, the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), has corroborated the story.
In an interview on Starr FM monitored by theghanareport.com, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo, said the figures as being reported by the GHS is not a true reflection of the matter on the ground.
“I think with the number of deaths being reported is fairly representative. I’ve not seen yesterday’s figures. But as of two days ago, we had 38 deaths, and that is from the situational report issued by the regional health administration. And I think that is fairly representative of the actual figures.”
He wondered why there is a mismatch between the regional and national figures.
Documents available to theghanareport.com showed that the reported number of deaths associated with the coronavirus was higher than what was being fed the public by the government.
The documents revealed that the Ashanti regional reported coronavirus deaths should be 38 and not 14 as contained in the National Situation Report of the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
EXCLUSIVE: Ghana’s COVID 19 death more than what GHS reports
The Center for Democratic Development (CDD), also suspected a cover-up of the coronavirus figures by government and raised concerns over the matter.
But the government on Tuesday, June 16, denied the claims.
Dr Baidoo further revealed that at least 20 medical doctors and 100 nurses had contracted the virus at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital alone.
Last week, the medical superintendent at the Kwadaso SDA hospital, Dr Harry Owusu Boateng became the latest casualty from the medical fraternity to have died from COVID-19.
Following his death, at least 200 staff at the facility are being tested for the virus. They are believed to have come into contact with the deceased.
Lack of PPEs
Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo lamented the lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for health personnel, making it easy for the professionals to contract the dreaded virus.
He warned that more people could die from the disease in the region if a dedicated isolation and treatment facility is not made available at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
According to him, the health facility is overstretched. He also said the second largest referral hospital in the country, KATH, now admits COVID-19 patients in the Emergency and Accident Unit, a situation he is worried about.
Ghana’s COVID-19 case count stood at 12, 193, with a total of 58 deaths. Some 4,326 have also recovered from the virus.