Ghana Association of Doctors in Residency (GADOR) presents Items to Ridge Hospital

The Ghana Association of Doctors in Residency (GADOR) has presented several boxes of Personal Protective Equipment and other items to the staff of Ridge Hospital as part of the efforts of the Association, OccupyGhana and IT Consortium Ltd to raise funds and items, to provide that support.

Presenting the items to the Ridge Hospital CEO, the Immediate Past President GADOR, Dr.Solomon Nii-Kotey Kotey, explained that the items were being donated to support the Ridge Hospital as the foremost designated health facility in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana.

He explained that the items were sourced by GADOR through efforts involving the OccupyGhana Movement and IT Consortium, marking the first of many more donation efforts to hospitals and clinics all over the country to aid in their preparedness to face the impending increase in a number of COVID19 cases to be reported in the country. The donated items consisted of hand sanitizers, disposable gowns, N95 masks, and protective coveralls.

Witnessing the event, the Advisor to the President of Ghana on Health, Dr.Anthony Nsiah-Asare, described it as an impressive endeavour for the Residents’ Association to spearhead such a move, especially as a part of the HCWs at the frontline in the management of the developing pandemic in Ghana.

He reiterated the President’s pledge to donate his next 3 months’ salary and added the commitment of his staffers, aides, and advisors also to similarly pledge half of their salaries for the next 3 months to the COVID-19 set up under the chairmanship of the former Chief Justice of Ghana, Ms.Sophia Akuffo.

He commended the industriousness of Ghanaians in rising to the challenge, citing the commendable efforts of some alcoholic beverage companies to produce much-needed alcohol-based hand sanitizers at this time.

He advised that GADOR and other donors spent time also concentrating efforts on smaller health facilities as they would also need support as first points of call in the communities.

He added that the restriction of movement in the Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi areas is aimed at containing people, performing adequate contact tracing, and testing those who need to be tested. To this end, other centres for testing nationwide are expected to come fully online soon.

He took the opportunity to explain that any Ghanaians with a history of contact would have to undergo testing, followed by appropriate management for both those who test negative and positive. Depending on the severity of the disease, those positive could be managed at home or in any of the treatment centres available.

He further explained that any complaints as to why the recovery rate seemed to be low could also be linked to the fact that it has not been a full 14 days since the moment the first cases were identified and isolated but the expectation is that within the next couple of days, more patients will test negative and be declared fully recovered as per laid down protocols.

He took the opportunity to encourage doctors to spread the word about COVID-19 on the airwaves in order to educate Ghanaians further on it, adding that an upsurge in numbers of infected people is expected soon due to with greater numbers of people to be tested henceforth.

He emphatically stated that the government would not shield any person testing positive and that official updates would be communicated via the GHS website, in tandem with WHO figures. He then called on all Ghanaians to support the police and security services to observe regulations of the lockdown/limited movement by not moving around unless absolutely necessary.

He ended by expressing gratitude for the donation once more and promised to convey good tidings of the efforts spearheaded by GADOR (backed by Occupy Ghana and IT Consortium) to the President.

Dr Srofenyo, the Medical Director, summed it all up by expressing gratitude for the donation to the Hospital

Present:
-Dr. Anthony Nsiah-Asare (Advisor to the President of Ghana on Health)
– Dr. Srofenyoh (Medical Director, Ridge Hospital)
– Dr. Dr Ralph Armah, (Clinical Director, Ridge Hospital)
– Dr. Solomon Nii-Kotey Kotey (Immediate Past President of GADOR)
– Dr. Florence Akumiah (Treasurer – GADOR)
– Dr. Justice Yankson (Ghana Medical Association General Secretary)
– Other members of the GADOR COVID Response Team
– Members of Staff of Ridge Hospital