Upper East Region COVID-19 Support Group donates to six health facilities

The Upper East Region COVID-19 Support Group has donated hygiene materials to support six health facilities and the Ghana Health Service Regional Directorate to help combat the pandemic in the Region.

The items valued at GH¢20,000 include one fumigation spraying machine, reusable goggles, hand gloves, hand sanitizers, tissue papers, liquid soaps, face masks and Veronica buckets.

The beneficiary health facilities are the Regional Hospital,the Plaza health centre,the Bongo District Hospital,Tongo health centre,Sorkabisi clinic and Azorebisi Community based Health Planning and Services(CHPS) compound near

Ceremony 

Speaking at a short presentation ceremony, the Initiator of the Group, Ms Helen Aduko noted that the group was formed about three weeks ago with a current membership of 180 from within Bolgatanga and outside the Region.

She further explained that she mooted the idea of forming the group when the first lockdown measures of Accra and Kumasi was announced by the President which also affected her as she was in Accra during that period.

Ms Aduko indicated that just around that time also the Upper East Region recorded its first COVID-19 confirmed case.

These situations,she noted, motivated her to mobilize a few friends on a WhatsApp platform with support from a few other individuals like Mr Paul Akrugu and Alhaji Mahamoud Mohammed to pool resources to support the fight against the virus.

The Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service(GHS), Dr Winfred Ofosu for his part, commended the group for the gesture which demonstrates that “these are a group of patriotic citizens who have recognised that the government alone cannot fight the pandemic but it is a collective effort".

Dr Ofosu therefore called on other corporate institutions and public spirited individuals to emulate the gesture.He equally assured the group of the GHS preparedness to put the items to good use.

COVID-19

He announced that so far the first confirmed case of COVID-19 has recovered and has been subsequently discharged from the treatment centre while those still under treatment are in stable condition.

The director however stressed the need for residents to avoid stigmatising COVID-19 patients,their relatives and friends so that the fight against the pandemic can be successful in the Region.

He said so far 18 persons have been confirmed of having the disease while one person passed on before the test results were received.

CSM

Touching on the Cerebrospinal Meningitis cases in the Region,Dr Ofosu stated that out of the 80 suspected cases recorded, seven have so far died between January to date.

He however expressed optimism that as the rains have set in the cases are likely to go down because usually during the dry season,dust particles contribute to increases in the CSM cases.