99% of Ashanti Region hospitals to be shut down
The Ghana Health Service has disclosed that about 99 per cent of hospitals in the Ashanti Region risk closing down following hikes in covid-19 cases.
This comes as the omicron virus sweeps across the region, leading to an exponential growth in the daily infections, which according to GHS, has overwhelmed health facilities in the region.
Speaking to OTEC News’ Kwame Agyenim Boateng in an exclusive interview, the Ashanti Regional Deputy Health Director, Dr Micheal Rockson Agyei, said most health workers in these hospitals had been hit hard with the covid-19 virus, which is impending health care in the region.
“We have received distress calls that most of our hospitals are in critical situations as a result of how fast the omicron variant has spread throughout the region.”
“Some hospitals in the region even moved to close down their facilities after staff were infected with the virus, but it took the timely intervention of GHS to step in and help the facilities restructure things and continue their services,” he added.
Dr Rockson Agyei attributed the massive influx of cases to the blatant disregard of the Covid-19 protocols during the yuletide.
He disclosed that 5 out of every ten persons in the region have been infected with the virus but have refused to go to the hospital because they are asymptomatic patients.
“We are now preparing our reports, but I suspect that the actual number of infections might be under-reported as many are not reporting to health facilities after getting the infection.”
As of January 3, 2022, Ghana had recorded 1,067 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the country’s current active case count to 12,422.
This is per the latest update by the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
The new cases bring the country’s total case count to 146,119, with 1,306 deaths since the pandemic outbreak in the country in March 2020, while 132,391 recoveries have been recorded.