Shocking undercover investigations by Accra-based JoyNews’ has revealed that suspected Covid-19 patients are on admission on the same floor as those no diagnosed with the disease at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
The patients not diagnosed with COVID-19 sharing the same wards with infected patients include pregnant women.
According to staff interviewed in the undercover report, the country’s premier teaching hospital had been forced to resort to this heartless measure because the facility is full.
Some hospital staff of the maternity block who spoke to JoyNews under the condition of anonymity said some of the COVID-19 patients were on oxygen when they were brought in.
“Some came in with oxygen, but, they are a bit better. Oxygen has been discontinued. Currently, their condition are not so bad, that we would say for this patient we are going to lose her, no. The only problem is we are still waiting for their test results,” the staff revealed.
Even more worrying is the fact that staff of Korle-Bu attend to both COVID and non-COVID patients wearing the same PPE, apparently because the government has failed to supply them enough protective gear.
“The PPEs are not enough so we are trying to manage. We are trying to manage. Under normal circumstances as soon as we enter any room we should discard whatever we are wearing from head to toe. But, when we enter one room, we move to another room with the same PPE,” the staff told the undercover reporters.
According to the disconcerted staff, they have been forced to taking Covid-19 prophylaxis to protect themselves as well as their families from contracting the virus.
“We are already on some medication. I have placed my kids and the family on the medication. We are on it,” the worker explained.
Meanwhile, JoyNews is reporting that the Head of Public Relations at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Mustapha Salifu is denying the claims that Covid-19 patients and non-carriers are being kept in the same ward.
According to him, their holding bays take one suspected case at a time to prevent the spread of the virus. On claims of inadequate PPEs, Mr. Salifu said the hospital has enough for both staff and patients.