Ga East Hospital runs out of oxygen for COVID-19 patients

• Oxygen at the Ga East Hospital has run out

• Dr Oliver-Commey noted the ICU for critical COVID-19 patients at the facility is full

• He warned the public to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols

Dr Joseph Oliver-Commey, the acting Director, Ghana’s Infectious Disease Centre (GIDC) has disclosed that the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for critical COVID-19 patients at the facility is full and has currently run out of oxygen.

He told Asaase radio in an interview monitored by GhanaWeb that, health practitioners find it difficult to sustain admitted COVID-19 and cater for new ones.

Dr Oliver-Commey indicated that, the ward for severe cases is also filled to capacity and can no longer admit new patients due to inadequate oxygen and staff.

He explained, “The only reason why you can take patients into your ICU is when you have oxygen and adequate staff to handle them.

“At the moment we are constrained by lack of oxygen and it is not only the infectious disease centre, almost all the ICU centres are constrained by oxygen including the use of high flow oxygen, very expensive that patients cannot afford.

“We are not saying we can’t look after the patients but the things to use to look after them, the nurses, the oxygen is a problem.”

“You narrow it down only to oxygen, I said oxygen plus the personnel, so I could have the oxygen but not the personnel and if I don’t have the personnel, why do I put a patient on the bed?” Dr Oliver-Commey quizzed.

The acting Director, Ghana’s Infectious Disease Centre, advised the public to adhere strictly to all COVID-19 safety precautions.

He stated further that, “what is important at this time is that we stick to the measures that have helped us. Unfortunately, we are behaving like a country that has vaccinated 50% of its population. Even the UK and the USA are able to open up their stadia because they know they have been able to vaccinate all their people but we have not done even two percent of our population yet the ordinary Ghanaian behaves as though there is no tomorrow.”

“This is my humble plea to all Ghanaians, if you fall sick, and you fall severely ill, the government cannot help you, I would not be able to help you and so is your next-door neighbour, so consciously prevent yourself from getting COVID-19,” Dr Oliver-Commey said.