'We have not suspended other healthcare services' - Dr. Tinkrong

Dr. Emmanuel Tinkorang, the Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, has said that the outbreak of the Coronavirus has not in any way, affected the management and treatment of other health conditions in hospitals in the region.

He said hospitals in the region have not suspended any of their core services to the public following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

“As much as the Regional Health Directorate is stepping up efforts to contain the deadly disease, it is not in any way, affecting normal service delivery in health facilities across the region”, Dr Tinkorang stated.

Dr. Tinkorang, who was addressing the media on the regional update of COVID-19, disclosed that Out Patience Department (OPD) attendance in health facilities in the region had declined since the outbreak of the coronavirus in the country.

He said all health indicators contained in the first quarter service performance report such as OPD attendance, maternal health, child health and family planning services had declined.

The Regional Director attributed the situation to refusal of the public to visit the health facilities over fears of being infected and assured that all the necessary preventive protocols had been put in place to protect clients of the facilities.

He said though admitted that COVID-19 was taking much of the time of health workers, he was certain that whoever visited a facility with other conditions would not be turned away.

“We do not want to compromise the routine services to the detriment of the whole country so we are reorganizing ourselves and the expectation is that people will seek medical attention even in the midst of COVID-19”, Dr. Tinkorang observed.

On the challenges facing the Regional COVID-19 Response Team, he said the resistance of community members when picking up suspected cases for isolation should not be allowed to continue.

He called for the maximum cooperation from the public, adding that, the isolation was in the interest of people living within the vicinity and also critical to efforts towards containing the deadly disease.