Environmental Health Officers in Ghana have abandoned the corpse of persons who died from COVID-19 over lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs).
The World Health Organization (WHO) dictates that such bodies must be buried through standard protocols within 72 hours, however in Ghana; some of the bodies have been kept in the morgue for about three weeks raising serious concern of safety.
According to the Environment Health workers mandated by law to undertake the necessary measures to ensure burial of the bodies, they have been neglected in the value chain of training, supply of PPEs and motivation for frontline health workers in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic in the country.
Speaking on Accra based Starr Fm Thursday Morning, the angry Environmental health officers with Accra Metropolitan Assembly said they will not get close to the bodies until PPEs are provided to them.
According to the Ghana Health Service, as of 14th April 2020, at 11:00pm, a total of 50,719 persons have been tested with 641 being positive for COVID-19. The breakdown of the 641 positive cases is as follows: seventeen (17) have been treated, reverted to negative on repeat tests and discharged. Furthermore, 66 have tested negative once and awaiting the second test. This brings together a total of 83 cases that have been recovered/discharged. 548 cases have been categorized as mild disease and are on treatment, two (2) are categorized as moderate to severe cases, none in critical state currently and eight (8) have died.
The five (5) new cases were recorded in the following locations; one from Adenta Municipality and two (2) each from Ayawaso East and Ayawaso Central Municipalities. Except for one of the cases from Ayawaso East, all the new cases are asymptomatic. Contacts of the new cases are being listed for follow up.
Of the 641 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 268 were reported from two from the routine surveillance, 258 from enhanced surveillance activities and 115 from travelers who were previously under mandatory quarantine in Accra and Tamale.
Regions that have reported cases are Greater Accra, Ashanti, Central, Eastern, Western, Volta, Northern, North East, Upper East, and Upper West regions.
The increasing cases have been attributed to the two weeks since the institution of enhanced surveillance, restriction of movement and continuous public education to prevent the spread of cases of COVID-19.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Obed Ansah
