News
Coronavirus: Egypt doctors accuse government over medics’ deaths
Doctors have accused Egypt’s health ministry of negligence in its handling of COVID-19 and said it bears “full responsibility” for medics’ deaths.
A union said on Monday that 19 doctors had so far died from the disease and more than 350 others had been infected.
It blamed a lack of personal protective equipment and beds for sickened staff, and warned the system could “collapse”.
The health minister insisted sufficient protection had been offered and medics had received the “best possible care”.
Egypt, the most populous country in the Arab world, has so far reported 17,967 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 783 associated deaths.
The doctors’ union said the deaths and infections among its members were the result of the health ministry “falling short” of doing its duty to protect them.
“The health ministry has an obligation towards doctors and all medics who are sacrificing their lives on the front lines to defend the safety of the homeland.
“It is imperative to provide them with the necessary protection and rapid medical intervention for those who contract the disease,” it added.
With the outbreak showing no sign of abating and quarantine hospitals running at capacity, the union warned that “the health system could completely collapse, leading to a catastrophe affecting the entire country if the health ministry’s negligence and lack of action towards medical staff is not rectified”.
In response, Health Minister Hala Zayed said that since the start of the outbreak, the ministry had “ensured the allocation of a floor in every quarantine hospital with a 20-bed capacity to treat those infected among medical staff”.
Staff were tested for the coronavirus upon entering and leaving hospitals, and there were “sufficient stocks” of personal protective equipment, she added.
Ms Zayed also stated that 11 doctors had so far died, rather than 19.
The union’s warning came two days after the death of a 31-year-old doctor, Walid Yehia, who was unable to get a bed at an quarantine hospital in Cairo.
“His colleagues and I were with him, appealing for help, but there was zero response,” his brother, Ashraf Zalouk, wrote on Facebook.
Social media users contrasted Dr Yehia’s treatment to that given to the actress Ragaa al-Gadawy.
The 81-year-old was tested quickly for the virus and admitted to a quarantine hospital in the city of Ismailiya based on the personal recommendation of the health minister, news websites quoted her daughter Amira Mokhtar as saying.
Ms Zayed has reportedly ordered an investigation into the death of Dr Yehia and promised to take “all legal measures in case of any shortcomings”.
-BBC
Egypt Health Minister, Hala Zayed
News
188 vehicles impounded in Kumasi as Police crack down on fake sirens and illegal car modifications
The Ghana Police Service has launched a major clampdown in the Ashanti Region targeting drivers using unauthorized sirens, strobe lights, and illegally modified vehicles.
The special operation, led by the Ashanti Regional MTTD with support from the Central MTTD in Accra and officers from National Headquarters, focused on two busy hotspots: Airport Roundabout and Santasi Roundabout in Kumasi.
During the exercise, 188 vehicles were stopped for various traffic violations. Officers removed and seized illegal sirens, horns, strobe lights, and improvised headlamps fitted on both private and commercial vehicles.
Beyond the seizures, drivers were taken through road safety education and cautioned to adhere strictly to the Road Traffic Regulations. Police also warned against the unlawful use of road shoulders and verges, which often causes congestion and accidents.
According to the Police, the operation forms part of a wider national campaign to restore discipline, improve road safety, and stop the misuse of emergency signals by unauthorized persons.
“The Ghana Police Service will continue these enforcement exercises across the country. Our goal is to ensure order on our roads and protect all road users,” statement said.
Residents in Kumasi welcomed the move, with many commending police for cracking down on vehicles that impersonate emergency and security cars.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Minority in Parliament has called for the immediate resignation or dismissal of the Attorney General, accusing him of incompetence over the release of GH¢350 million from the Contingency Fund for flood relief.
Addressing the media today in Parliament, the Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei alleged that the release of the money breached legal procedures because there were ongoing garnishee proceedings involving the Contingency Fund.
According to her, the Attorney General directed the Governor of the Bank of Ghana to allow the funds to be released despite the pending court process.
“The Attorney General’s letter speaks for itself. It directed the Governor of the Bank of Ghana to give effect to the release of funds from the Contingency Fund notwithstanding the pending garnishee proceedings. Yet the Ministry of Finance subsequently announced that the GH¢350 million had been released,” she stated.
Mrs. Appiagyei argued that the Attorney General’s actions showed incompetence and undermined due legal process.
She said the Minority believes the Attorney General should either resign or be dismissed over the matter.
The Minority maintains that public funds must be managed in accordance with the law and has called for accountability over the release of the money.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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