COVID-19 kills Nurse in Bolgatanga

A Nurse at the War Memorial Hospital in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality of the Upper East Region has died of COVID-19 at the Regional treatment centre in Bolgatanga.

The Kassena-Nankana Municipal Chairman of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Mr Habib Mahama who confirmed the death of the nurse to the Ghana News Agency, said he died on Friday, January 15.

He said the deceased worked at the Paediatric Unit of the hospital as a Registered General Nurse, adding that 15 staff of the facility had tested positive to the virus, and advocated mass testing for all staff of the War Memorial Hospital to be sure that more staff were not infected.

Mr Mahama also called on management of the hospital to close down the facility for fumigation to ensure safe environment for health care delivery.

He said leadership of the GRNMA in the Municipality was yet to get more information on how his members were responding to treatment at the Centre, and further advised members of the Association in the Region to adhere to the health protocols.

“All is not lost, we have to observe the necessary protocols to make sure that we keep ourselves safe. We also want to call on authorities of the health care system to ensure that the necessary Personal Protective Equipment and other logistics are provided for our members to enable them work without fear.”

Some health professionals who attended to the deceased at the treatment centre before he passed on, disclosed to the GNA that his oxygen concentration level on arrival at the treatment centre was about 34 per cent, and despite all interventions, to save him, he passed on.

Meanwhile, a situation report from the Upper East Regional Health Directorate, compiled by Dr Emmanuel Dzotsi the Regional Director and his team, indicated that there were 39 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality.

The report said 22 out of the number were females, while 17 were males.

It said two of the female cases were less than 15years, three were between the ages of 15 to 24 years, seven were between 25 to 34 years, four were between 35 to 44 years, two between 45 and 59 and four were above 59 years.

On the part of the male cases in the Municipality, the report indicated that eight persons out of the 17 males who tested positive were from the ages of 25 to 34, while nine ranged from the ages of 35 and above 59 years.

According to the report, 586 cases and contact tracing were done, out of which 528 turned positive while results of 19 persons were pending.