News
Ashanti Region faces shortage of beds, PPE at treatment centres
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) in the Ashanti Region has complained about shortage of beds and personal protective equipment (PPE) at treatment centres of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), making the management of cases difficult.
According to the Ashanti Regional Director of GHS, Dr Emmanuel Tenkorang, there was an urgent need to increase the number of beds in the treatment facilities considering the increasing number of recorded cases in the region which stood at 2,403.
Addressing the media here on COVID-19 situation in Ashanti, Dr Tenkorang stated that, almost all the treatment centres were full.
He said the treatment centre at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital had 18 beds, whilst the centre at Kumasi South Hospital had 20 beds.
“This means that the total number of beds we have is 38, so what we need to do is to increase the number of beds to be able to contain the increasing coronavirus cases in the region,” he said.
The Director said plans were afoot to expand Kumasi South Hospital from the existing 20 beds to 41, whilst work was ongoing at another ward for further expansion.
To support the development, he said seven beds have been secured at Suntreso Hospital and “we are also negotiating with one of our senior doctors who has decided to give us his hospital to be used as a treatment centre.”
He said when “it is finally done; we hope that we can add about 100 beds to the treatment centres making it 138 beds.”
Dr Tenkorang said the directorate had the intention of increasing the number of isolation centres in the region considering the increasing number of recorded COVID-19 cases as the region currently had a total of 207 beds in isolation centres at Ejisu and TUC in Kumasi, which were not enough.
The region has so far recorded 38 deaths, 2,403 cases, 778 recoveries, 156 people are currently in isolation and 38 people are also on admission with one in critical condition.
Dr Tenkorang appealed to the public to obey the strict adherence to the COVID-19 safety protocols, as the number of recorded cases was increasing every day in the region.
He hinted that, the continuous failure of the public’s adherence to the safety protocols would force authorities in the region to re-strategise COVID-19 safety protocol adherence.
Source: Ghanaian Times
Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
