Relatives of youngster who died from COVID-19 in Walewale reject test results, refuse to self-quarantine

There is an uneasy calm in Walewale, the West Mamprusi Municipal capital as the family of a 19-year-old young man who died from the COVID-19 disease at the Walewale Government Hospital last Monday has rejected a medical report of the deceased.

They have also refused to adhere to directives by authorities to self-quarantine as well as cooperate with the Municipal Emergency Response Team in contact tracing.

The deceased who was said to be an asthmatic patient died on admission at the hospital after a short illness last Monday 6, 2020.

He was confirmed positive after health officials suspected some symptoms of the virus on the deceased and sent samples to the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR) for testing.

Graphic Online has gathered that the deceased had no traveling history before he was taken ill and died four hours after being admitted at the hospital.

Due to the lack of mortuary at the hospital, management was forced to release the body to the family for burial on Wednesday 8, 2020, while awaiting the test results.

But after receiving the result on Friday, April 10, 2020, the family said the death of their relative which was attributed to COVID-19 was “fake and unacceptable” and that they suspected a cover-up plot by management of the hospital.

The spokesperson of the family, Mr Ibrahim Alhassan in an interview said “From the beginning until our relation died, we have not been told the truth in it, we are not saying the disease doesn’t exist but our son did not die with that virus”.

According to him, the deceased was an asthmatic patient who had been suffering from the condition for the past five years with his medical records available at the hospital

“The guy was even crying for oxygen but the nurses denied him and after he died, they took the sample; they didn’t have hands to treat him so which hands did they use to take the sample,” he quizzed.

The test result cited by Graphic Online shows that samples of the deceased were taken on Saturday 4, 2020, contrary to reports by authorities that the samples were taken on Monday 6, 2020.

Mr Alhassan said they doubt the authenticity of the report because their relative was admitted at the hospital on Monday 6, 2020 and the samples were taken same day after he passed on, but not as captured on the test result.

The family is therefore threatening to take legal action if authorities do not come out as a matter of urgency to clarify the matter.

When contacted the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Issahaku Aremeyaw Somo who chairs the Emergency Response Team said “We are in talks with the family to cooperate with us to self-quarantine and also support efforts in the contract tracing”.

Commenting on the family rejecting the test result, he said they could seek legal redress if they doubted the report.

“The situation is under control because so far we have made efforts in the contract tracing. I urge all not to panic because we are working hard to ensure that we bring the matter under control," he assured.

The death of the teenager has sparked fear and panic in the town as it has emerged that the remains of body was released to the family for burial on Thursday before the test results confirmed the deceased positive Friday Morning.

Graphic online has learnt that some health officials who visited the family house after the announcement Friday morning to conduct contact tracing, were not given the needed attention by the relatives as they refused to allow their samples to be taken for testing.