The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has emphasized on the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic by disclosing that COVID-19 patients received at the treatment centres this year are sicker than patients that were received last year.
President of the Association, speaking in an interview with Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show noted that in 2020, most cases that were received at the treatment centres could be classified as mild or moderate. However, this year’s cases are mostly severe and critical.
“The portfolio of the virus and its presentation has seen some changes in the sense that first people used to visit the centres with mild cases and sometimes there will be moderate to severe and critical cases but now moderate to severe are going higher.
Those who visit the hospitals with severe cases are going up. That is causing our treatment centres to be overwhelmed. At a point in time, some of the treatment centres were empty but we lost our guard and stopped following the protocols The patients who come in, now, appear more ill”, he said.
Dr. Ankobea advised that people should take seriously the adherence to the COVID-19 protocols because there may be post-COVID-19 syndromes that may affect a person’s organs even after the COVID-19 has been managed.
On Monday, 25th January, 2020, the Ghana Medical Association released a statement addressing the alarming rate at which the COVID-19 cases were increasing. To that effect, the Association made some recommendation to the Government and Ghanaians.
For example, The Association called on Government to restrict the number of people attending the state funeral of the late H.E Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings and rather encourage people to follow proceedings on television and other social media platforms.
GMA has also urged Ghanaians to get tested for COVID-19 if they detect any flu-like symptoms.
By: Alberta Dorcas N D Armah
