We’re running out of oxygen for COVID-19 patients, says GIDC
Dr Joseph Oliver-Commey of the Infectious Disease Centre says ICU beds are full and there are limited oxygen to take care of COVID patients
The Ga East Municipal Hospital has revealed it is currently out of oxygen and health practitioners to sustain admitted COVID-19 patients and to cater for new ones.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Beatrice Adu, the host of The Big Bulletin on Asaase Radio, Dr Joseph Oliver-Commey, the acting Director of Ghana’s Infectious Disease Centre explained that the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for critical COVID-19 patients is full, and the ward for severe cases is also filled to capacity and can no longer admit new patients due to inadequate oxygen and staff.
“The only reason why you can take patients into your ICU is when you have oxygen and adequate staff to handle them,” he said.
“At the moment we are constrained a little by 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.”
He added: “We are not saying we can’t look after the patients but the things to use to look after them, the necessary ingredients, 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?”
He advised Ghanaians to adhere strictly to all COVID-19 safety precautions as the government is yet to fully vaccinate all the citizens.
“What is important at this time is that we stick to the measures that have helped us. Unfortunately, we are behaving like a country that has vaccinated 50% of its population. Even the UK and the USA are able to open up their stadia because they know they have been able to vaccinate all their people but we have not done even two percent of our population yet the ordinary Ghanaian behaves as though there is no tomorrow.
“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 said.
Source: asaaseradio.com
