30 health workers in Ashanti Region contract COVID-19 —GHS

Thirty health workers in the Ashanti region have contracted the COVID-19 disease, according to the Ashanti Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service’s updated report, as at May 20, 2020. 

These affected workers are said to be mostly front-line workers including doctors, nurses, paramedics and mortuary workers.

Disclosing this to the media at a press briefing here, yesterday, the Ashanti Regional Director of the GHS, Dr Emmanuel Tenkorang, said they were all responding to treatment as he called for calm among health workers in the region.

Dr Tenkorang stated that, the total confirmed cases in the region have increased to 886 with a total of seven deaths with 15 people on admission and 75 in isolation.

According to the Health Director, the number of recorded new infections in the region have reduced, as 139 confirmed cases have tested negative after initial repeated tests.

He stated that, although the new infection was going down in the region, there was the need for the public to keep on observing the safety protocols and guidelines in order to prevent more infections.

Dr Tenkorang observed that, recovered patients in the region as well as residents of Obuasi and its surrounding towns were living in fear as they have been facing stigma and discrimination.

According to him, reports gathered by GHS were that, people did not want to associate with Obuasi residents following reports that, the town was leading in reported confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Ashanti Region.

Dr Tenkorang commended authorities in the region for ensuring that safety protocols were being adhered to and that it has accounted for the reduction in new infected cases of the disease.

FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE, KUMASI