Ghana risks a surge in coronavirus cases if measures are not strictly adhered to - Dr Yankson warns

General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr Justice Yankson, has warned of an increase in cases in the country if Ghanaians fail to adhere to the strict measures put in place by the health authorities.

Currently, Ghana has recorded a total of 9,910 confirmed cases, 6,217 active cases, 3,645 recoveries and 48 deaths.

Comparing the statistics to that of other countries experiencing the Coronavirus outbreak, Dr. Yankson is of the view that Ghana has done so well with the handling of the COVID-19 cases which is evident in the number of deaths recorded and the recovery rate.

"COVID-19 as of now generally speaking, our numbers are going up, we are almost getting to ten thousand. What is clear is that the recovery rate as far as Ghana is concerned is very impressive. Death rate if you look at what we are doing or the statistics compared to other neighboring countries and even the world at large, we seem to have done so well. What it means is that our case management per what we have now can be described as the best you can find anywhere on this earth. It is the recoveries, the less death that actually show how good the case management itself is going. So, our case management team has done a real man’s job."

Dr. Yankson made this statement on Monday, June 8, 2020, when he visited the construction site of the 100-bed infectious disease isolation and treatment facility, located at the Ga East District Hospital in Accra.

According to him, easing the restrictions should not mislead the people that COVID-19 has been eradicated, thereby neglecting the safety protocols.

"What is left for us as a people to do, is not to take our legs off the paddle, in terms of trying to contain the disease. Especially now as we have eased some of them. There is always a tendency that there could be a surge. Anytime you have infectious pandemic situation where restrictions come and people don’t obey or adhere to the strict measures that have been put in place, there is always a risk of a surge and that is one thing as a country we need to try and avoid."



He said neglecting the safety protocols will plunge the country into a disarray as cases will increase and health facilities will be overwhelmed with cases, creating lack of access to facilities.

"As the numbers go up, if we don’t contain it, and it overruns all the predictions around, what is going to happen is that, our whole health care system will also be overwhelmed and when it gets overwhelmed then case management itself becomes a problem because a lot more people cannot get access to the facilities on time and then the right care because the system is overwhelmed. So, we are at a point where we have to be very careful as individuals and as a state. We need to take preventive measures very seriously." He said.