The New Covid-19 Patient Discharge Protocol: Are We going or We are Coming?

Author: Abdul-Hakim Tweneboah

The Covid-19 pandemic is still ravaging its havoc on the world and Ghana is not spared. Our cumulative case count is high and incidence (new cases) of the disease is equally not too good.

Fortunately, we have a good Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 0.61%. I say we are fortunate not because the 129 deaths out 21,077 confirmed cases are not painful. Even one death is painful. I say so in comparative terms mindful of the death rates we saw in China, Italy, America and other countries. CFR means the rate at which people who tested positive for the disease are dying. It is the number of deaths (129) divided by number of confirmed cases so far (21,077) times 100%

Is about a week now since Ghana implemented the new WHO guidelines for discharge/recovery, thereby shooting our total recoveries/discharges to 16, 070. I always find it difficult to understand why my country (Ghana) somewhat copy blindly. In Public Policy phraseology, it is called policy transfer. We often transfer global policies and implement them line, hook and sinker as though local environmental factors do not affect policy implementation.

It is somewhat not surprising that others are of the view that the COVID-19 Case Managers have been governmentally coerced to implement the new guidelines just to allow many people to take part in the ongoing Voters’ Registration exercise. The scanty Health Practitioners are rampantly becoming infected and we must be concerned. It means that our soldiers at the COVID-19 war front are being gunned down and they either die or are wounded. Above all, most of our facilities are not up to standard.

Are we going go back to the earlier guideline of pronouncing a COVID-19 a patient discharged/recovered after the Voters’ Registration exercise? The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) does not seem to be giving a consistent signal. When we had small number of cases, they were calling the shots but now that the numbers are huge, they no longer ensure the government adhere to the medical standards in terms of the directives. It is as though, the GMA shouts atop the roofs when they see a sparrow yet they are rather mute when an eagle flies over.

Would we have not been able to contain the small positive numbers before the December 7 elections?

What will happen if half of the registered citizens are quarantined before or on December 7th? Are we not going to see more Carlos Ahenkoras going to vote despite their COVID-19 positive status?

It is in my considered opinion no matter how dissenting it may be, that our positive case count is increasing because of the implementation of the new guidelines and that will not help us. COVID-19 is not chickenpox, which a person contracts once in a lifetime. As such, recovered patients can test positive for the disease again.

It appears our new discharge protocols have become germinated seeds and the chickens have come home to roost.

In all things, Allah reigns.

ABDUL-HAKIM TWENEBOAH

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