Covid-19: Ambulance Arrived After Two Days

A father of four who has recovered from the Coronavirus disease in Ghana on Thursday recounted how he was diagnosed with the disease, his fears of imminent death, the wailing of his family, and his amazing recovery following treatment.

Mr Frederick Drah said he tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, March 18 after visiting the Tema Polyclinic after suffering a fever the night before.

Narrating his ordeal to the press on Tuesday at the Ministry of Information in Accra, Mr Drah said “In fact, it wasn’t easy for me.”

He said while in bed at about 12:15am, he started feeling feverish and there was a sudden dryness in his throat.

“I called my wife and she gave me some two tablets of paracetamol and within the shortest time I was feeling warm and I was able to sleep again. The next day I decided to go to the hospital. I visited Tema Polyclinic and they did malaria test, BP, sugar and about four tests and they realised that I was negative.

“They took my temperature and they realised the temperature was above…it drew some suspicion but still I was not clear in (my) mind. So, they called me to an isolated place and I sat there for about 45 minutes and no one was attending to me,” he said.

He said a man dressed in a PPE later came to attend to him, took a mouth swab, after which he was asked to go home.

“The following day, Thursday, I received a strange call… the gentleman told me that they took my sample and they found out that I am COVID-19 positive. In fact, it wasn’t easy for me. I tried to control myself." He said the doctor told him to isolate from the rest of the family.

He said he was then informed that an ambulance would come and pick him to the hospital; however, the ambulance did not arrive until Saturday at about 5pm.

“That is the place where I saw myself dying simply because of the information out there. I also thought that when you get the disease, within 3 days you are gone… the only thing I could tell my wife…I just waved her,” he added.

According to him, he did not think he would survive the disease, and urged all to stay at home as much as possible resisting any temptation to step out unless it is so essential.

He commended the health officials at the Ga East District hospital for the service they rendered to him.

He said since being discharged on Sunday, March 22, his family has faced stigmatization from the community.

He therefore took the opportunity to urge the public to desist from stigmatizing people who have suffered from the disease.

---graphic.com.gh