Education can help but applying force wouldn't solve our problems- Mr. Gyasi-Obodai.

A Medical Laboratory Scientist of the Cape Coast Metropolitan Hospital (CCMH), Mr Gideon Gyasi-Obodai says all those not adhering to the Covid-19 protocols need more education than force. According to him, everybody in Ghana has heard something about coronavirus but people are just being stubborn due to misinformation. He explained the need for more education than to apply force. "For how long can we apply force" he quizzed?

They were speaking to Benjamin Tetteh Nartey of GBC Radio Central on the Central Morning Show today 27th April 2020 on the topic "Covid-19 Situation In Cape Coast".

The Medical Superintendent of the Cape Coast Metro Hospital (CCMH) Dr Derik Bonsu on the panel said the testing, tracing and quarantining of suspected cases was very perfect and we need to applaud the government, the health officials and security agencies who made sure that, the partial lockdown was enforced. He further added that the Cape Coast situation started with a case but now we have 17 cases which all of them cannot be kept in their homes and treated. This means such people need to be isolated and treated at CCMH centre.

He further added, "we have been very lucky most the patients were asymptomatic and the treatment is ongoing". He said this responding to a question as to whether we should panic or not? "There is no need to fear and panic, or paranoia. The virus is no respecter of persons and everyone is at risk but no need to panic but just follow the protocols as prescribed by the Ghana Health Services" the Medical Superintendent added.

Responding to the same question, a Senior Nursing Officer, Mrs Freda Asiamah, said following the fear and panic created most people do things which are not normal. A simple cough is seen as a symptom. When this happens sometimes almost all the entire household can come to the hospital to seek help". She added that "people mass up at the hospital for a check because one of their family members has a cough. What this means is that, if one of the persons among those who came is positive and asymptomatic, s/he would infect others. She stressed the need for people not to panic and rush to the hospital enmassed".

When asked whether force should be applied on recalcitrants ones, A Medical Laboratory Scientist of the same facility Gideon Gyasi-Oboda, said: "for how long can we apply force"? We can only continue to educate people about the disease and with time people would appreciate the need to be careful". He continued that, our housing system is not the best and once there are reported cases, then there is the possibility of same spreading, hence, the need for one to be careful.

The Medical Superintendent in responding to how prepared they were to the fight of Covid-19 since their facility is a treatment and an isolation centre, he said they have adequately prepared within their means but was quick to add that philanthropist must help by donating items to help to support Covid-19 patients in their facility. "We need PPE', gloves, coveralls, hand sanitizers, face mask, Veronica buckets, television set, food items, computers and others to help the patients who are under treatment. "A Covid-19 patient isn't a prisoner and needs some form of entertainment to ease their already stressed mind" he said. He explained that the extra computers would make work easier for them since the hospital operates an e-health system and the computers available are not enough. "The movement of computer from one place to another can facilitate cross infections which isn't good" Dr. Bonsu added.

Mr Nicholas Nyantakyi an Anaesthetist of CCMH also contributing to the discussion said, so far so good and the public health system in Ghana has done a yeoman's job regarding education about Covid-19. "This is the best health education we have embarked upon in recent times".

In responding to why others appear not to understand what is happening, the anaesthetics said everybody has heard about COVID-19 but what is happening is attitudinal and behavioural and we need to continue with the education.

Mrs Freda Asiamah a senior nursing officer in explaining the difference between a treatment centre and a normal admission ward, said a treatment centre has about two beds in each cubicle of the ward with a distance of about 3m between the beds and normally they use gun thermometers and other equipments which would help reduce contacts between the patients and the health official. But, in normal wards, there is always an interaction between patients and health officers and normally the thermometers they use are those which is put in the armpit of the patients and other close contact examination.

Mr Gyasi-Obodai came in and added that the workload in the labs have gone up and that has put them under pressure. "I've not been sleeping for some time and this should tell you the kind of work being done". Health officials are really working hard but that isn't being seen but "we are doing our best to help". "We are doing all these plus our normal hospital duties". He added that their facility is both a treatment and an isolation centre and that is the reason why they need help because catering for both the isolated and Covid-19 victims demands a lot of work and resources.

In concluding the discussion, Mr Gyasi-Obodai said sometimes they encounter a lot of difficulties including non-corporation on the part of suspected coronavirus victims. He added in some situations, some institutions would make several demands including written authorisation before allowing them to do their contact tracing which impedes their work and doesn't allow them do discharge their duties with dispatch.