Korle Bu Polyclinic can’t cope with cholera cases
The Korle Bu Polyclinic in the Greater Accra Region is inundated with cholera patients hence it has put a cap on the number of other patients it attends to daily.
Advertisement
It has also called for the re-enforcement of staff with more doctors and nurses from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH).
Since the facility started with the capping policy on August 11, 2014, a maximum of 70 patients with other conditions are attended to daily, depending on the number of cholera cases reported on a particular day.
So far, 970 cholera cases have been recorded at the facility, out of which 12 of the patients lost their lives.
The Korle Bu Polyclinic has only eight beds in its cholera bay.
Contingency measures
To cope with the influx of the cholera patients, the facility has converted its corridors, part of the out patient department (OPD) and the emergency department into a cholera bay.
The facility is overstretched and every available space is occupied and cholera patients receiving intravenous infusions either lie on benches or sit in wheelchairs or plastic chairs, while their relatives stand and hold the infusions.
Effort of doctors and nurses
The situation is so overwhelming that the doctors and nurses working on the patients sometimes have to extend their closing time of 3.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. in order to attend to the patients.
Other Trending Stories
Conducting the Daily Graphic round the facility, the Public Health Nurse in charge of the polyclinic, Ms Adelaide Yeboah, expressed concern about the increasing cases of the disease in spite of the public education.
She appealed to other health facilities to create enough space to handle the cholera cases and not to keep referring the patients to the polyclinic, which was also overstretched.
Basic hygienic practices
The Disease Control Officer at the polyclinic, Ms Abigail Owusu said she was worried that most people were not observing basic hygienic practices, adding that there was continuous reinfection as patients who had been treated before were brought back a few days after they had been discharged.
Overstretched facilities
Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Head of the polyclinic, Dr Gerhard Ofori-Amankwah, confirmed that the facility and the staff were overstretched.
He said the situation had reached the point that the facility had to recall all nurses on leave to help contain the ever-increasing number of cases.
He said the cholera cases recorded at health facilities were alarming and very unusual, compared with statistics for the previous years, adding that, “this year’s outbreak is coming from all over and not a specific area.”
Dr Ofori-Amankwah expressed concern about the increasing cases and attributed the situation to the insanitary conditions in the city.
Advice
He advised the public to be on their guard, adding, “you should watch what you eat and what you drink. Cholera is a condition got through the mouth.”
“It could be a fly that lands on a faecal matter and later lands on your food or falls into your water. It could be from the source of the water you drink. Once you are not sure of what you are eating and the water you are drinking, beware.”
“People should develop the habit of eating food while it is hot or boil water they are not sure of before drinking it,” he advised.
Writer’s Email: severious.dery@graphic.com.gh