The Upper East Regional Health Directorate has so far recorded 26 COVID-19 related deaths in the region since the first case of the virus was reported in April 2020.
Briefing the media in Bolgatanga, Dr Emmanuel Kofi Dzotsi, the Upper East Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), called on the public to seek early medical attention for illnesses, especially COVID-19, from health facilities, to reduce the risks of death.
“One thing we noticed is that these deaths were caused by late reporting. So the media should inform the public that early reporting to the health facility saves lives because the virus keeps on multiplying very fast, if we don’t give you the supportive care."
“Maybe the patient needs oxygen, but stay at home and we are not able to give the oxygen, then it results in death. So let’s report early if we have fever, cough, difficulty in breathing, please report to the nearest health facility,” he said.
Dr Dzotsi disclosed that the Region had a cumulative total of 863 cases out of which 770 were treated and discharged.
As of February 11, the region had 67 active cases with 23 of them admitted at the treatment centre.
He explained that “Because we don’t have adequate number of treatment centres, we assess the homes of the respective confirmed cases and they do home isolation, while the case management teams follow them to make sure they are on their treatment.”
On the issues of COVID-19 testing centres in the Region, the Director said the Regional Hospital in Bolgatanga and the Navrongo Health Research Centre (NHRC) in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality were the designated centres for COVID-19 test.