Coronavirus: 32 nurses and midwives test positive in Ghana

The Ghana Registered Nurses' and Midwife' Association (GRNMA) says 32 of its members have tested positive for coronavirus across the country.

According to the association, the 32 nurses and midwives contracted the virus while attending to patients in their respective health facilities. 

Speaking to Accra-based Citi FM on Friday, May 15, 2020, the President of the GRNMA, Mrs Perpetual Ofori–Ampofo, said a number of nurses and midwives are already under quarantine across the country.

“As at Tuesday, we had 32 confirmed cases from our nurses and midwives, and we had over 250 nurses and midwives also under quarantine. That shows that indeed we are at high risk and at this moment, any patient or person who walks into the health facility is a suspected case of COVID-19 because indeed you cannot tell who has it and who doesn’t have,” she said.

Mrs Ofori–Ampofo urged Ghanaians to adhere strictly to the safety protocols outlined by the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

“We are supposed to abide by the wearing of the face mask and the social distancing which is very, very important and washing of hands, sanitising of hands...all those things are very important guidelines..."

She also pleaded with Ghanaians to put an end to stigmatisation of persons who had contacted or treated of the disease. 

“We also plead with Ghanaians not to stigmatise those who have gone through treatment and are now free off the virus. Family members and communities must accept them wholeheartedly in a sense that they themselves as community members and family members are also at risk of contracting it and we must treat people fairly the way we want ourselves to be treated,” she added.

Ghana as  of Thursday, May 14, 2020 has recorded 5,530 COVID-19 cases with 24 deaths and 674 recoveries.