Bawku Presbyterian Hospital Appeals For PPEs To Fight Covid-19

The authorities at the Bawku Presbyterian hospital has called on individuals, institutions, philanthropists NGO'S to come to their aid by providing them with Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to help prevent the spread of novel coronavirus in the area.

The Bawku Presbyterian hospital is a referral centre for Binduri, Garu, Pusiga, Tempane districts and Bawku municipal including two neighbouring countries, Burkina Faso and Togo.

The Upper East Region currently has eight cases of COVID-19 with one death. A 52-year-old patient who tested positive was the first to die at the Bawku Presbyterian hospital.

Dr Seidu Sukenibe, a Medical Director of the Bawku Presbyterian hospital noted that the covid-19 patient who died was first reported to the Bawku Presbyterian hospital on 7th April, 2020.

He added that the deceased temperature was 41.1 degrees celsius with difficulty in breathing, coughing, running nose, diarrhea and muscular joint pains.

According to Dr. Seidu, sample of the deceased was taken to KCCR for laboratory test and unfortunately, the patient passed away before her results came out on early hours of April 8.

The General Manager, Bawku Presbyterian hospital, Fianko Gyan lamented that the delay in results is keeping the hospital authorities and staff in the psychological and emotional trauma and hence wanted a testing centre site in the Region for quick response.

Samuel Fianko Gyan said, the hospital is challenged with personal protective equipment. "The number of cases that come to the hospital and the fear at the moment, one would have expected that at least every staff within the frontline parameters should have the fullest protection and the fullest assurance that, even if a case comes in, we would be able to handle it without putting the personnel at risk. But here, fighting deadly disease without adequate logistics, PPEs to take care of the clients," he lamented.

Mr. Gyan added that their isolation centre is not fully equipped to be able to handle critical cases. However, the hospital has human capacity and competence however, challenged with logistics.

He acknowledged the support of the Ministry of health, the Member of Parliament, Hon. Mahama Ayariga, some institutions and individuals, Regional Health Directorate and Area Head of the church of Pentecost.