Covid-19: If you fall seriously ill gov’t cannot help you – Doctor warn Ghanaians

The Ghana Infectious Disease Center has cautioned Ghanaians refusing to follow the Covid-19 safety protocols while insisting that government may not be able to help those who fall seriously ill.

This is because the Center at the Ga East Municipal Hospital is currently running out of oxygen which is essential to keep persons with severe Covid-19 conditions alive.

Speaking in an interview with Asaase Radio, Acting Director of the Center, Dr. Joseph Oliver-Commey said the ICU designated for Covid patients is full to capacity and can no longer take in patients in critical conditions.

“At the moment we are constrained by lack of oxygen and it is not only the infectious disease centre, almost all the ICU centres are constrained by oxygen including the use of high flow oxygen, very expensive that patients cannot afford,” Dr. Joseph Oliver-Commey said.

Acting Director of the Center continued, “We are not saying we can’t look after the patients but the things to use to look after them, the nurses, the oxygen is a problem. You narrow it down only to oxygen, I said oxygen plus the personnel, so I could have the oxygen but not the personnel and if I don’t have the personnel, why do I put a patient on the bed?”.

Amid the increasing number of Covid-19 cases being recorded in the country, Dr. Joseph Oliver-Commey has charged Ghanaians to prioritize their well-being by strictly adhering to the preventive measures.

According to him, anyone who refuses to do so puts himself in danger and may not receive the needed help from the government in the event of an infection.

“This is my humble plea to all Ghanaians, if you fall sick and you fall severely ill, government cannot help you, I would not be able to help you and so is your next-door neighbour, so consciously prevent yourself from getting COVID-19,” Dr. Oliver-Commey added.

As of Tuesday, July 13, 2021, Ghana’s active Covid-19 cases have surged past 2,300 and could even get worse with the Ministry of Health anticipating a third wave of the pandemic in the coming weeks.