COVID-19: Health Minister out, NHIA boss in

A day after theghanareport.com learned that the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu has been discharged from the University of Ghana Medical Center after contracting COVID-19, the National Health Insurance Authority boss, Dr. Lydia Dsane-Selby is in hospital for contracting the virus.

The NHIA boss according to sources has been quarantined. Staff at the authority have also been informed about the development.

Contact tracing efforts have been initiated to identify persons who may have interacted with her.

Dr. Lydia Dsane-Selby is the third government official known to have contracted the virus.

“I live with my mother and luckily she tested negative together with the house staff, so it’s just me in the house who is positive. So I immediately self-quarantined and contacted doctors at Korle-Bu and others who have put me on a treatment regime.

“I have contacted all those I came into contact with over the last few days and they’re being tested. As far as I’m aware, they’re negative,” she told Accra based Asaase Radio.

The first was the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu. According to the Minister of Information, Mr. Agyeman-Manu has been discharged from UGMC and is being treated at home. Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom also contracted the disease at his post. Apart from that, two unnamed members of Parliament have also reportedly contracted the disease.

According to Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, his colleague is responding to treatment and is “grateful for all the well wishes”.

Mr. Agyeman-Manu, according to President Akufo-Addo “contracted the virus in the line of duty”.

Ghana recorded 229 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, June 16, bringing its case count to 12,193 with 4,326 recoveries.

The death toll also increased by four, increasing the COVID-19 related deaths to 58.

The latest update was given by the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Patrick Kumah Aboagye.

Despite the updates provided by GHS, there seem to be some discrepancies in the figures announced by service.

Documents available to theghanareport.com indicate that the reported number of deaths associated with the coronavirus is higher than what is being reported by the government.

The documents revealed that the Ashanti regional reported cases should be 38 and not 14 as contained in the National Situation Report of the Ghana Health Service.

EXCLUSIVE: Ghana’s COVID 19 death more than what GHS reports

Ghana’s Covid-19 death figure of 54, which was announced by the President in his 11th Broadcast to the Nation last Sunday, June 14th, was calculated using 14 deaths from Ashanti Region. This was despite the fact that the Ashanti Region sent a figure of 38 deaths on the 13th of June, a day before the president addressed the nation.