Coronavirus threatening general healthcare as Malaria kills 54 children

The Ghana Health Service has expressed concern the COVID-19 pandemic is having a weighty toll on other aspects of healthcare in the country.

According to the GHS, health facilities have recorded low Out Patient Attendance as well as a decline in visits for routine pregnancy and child health checkups.

The nation has recorded 40 deaths from “Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) with as many as 54 children dying from Malaria, while 18 persons have died from COVID 19 within the period of the pandemic.

The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service Dr Patrick Aboagye made the worrisome disclosures addressing Tuesday’s COVID 19 Ministry of Information press briefing.

He outlined, “The disease has begun affecting other sectors. At our last review, we have had immunization services coming down; we had growth development of children coming down; antenatal and outpatient attendances are declining.”

“What it means is that people who are sick may not be seeking care and that is not what we want. If this goes on, it will have consequential effects on health outcomes in the end,” he cautioned.

Dr Patrick Aboagye assured Measures have been put in place that allows us to be able to provide services for you in safety so that we don’t have another challenge on our hands because of reduced access to care.

Ghana has recorded 2,719 positive CASES of COVID 19 across the country. 2,402 patients representing 93.2% are asymptomatic with just a little over 5% presenting with mild conditions.