Nine-year-old boy becomes youngest to die of coronavirus in Ghana

The youngest person to have died from the novel coronavirus in Ghana was a nine-year-old boy, according to the Ghana Health Service.

So far 22 people have died of COVID-19 since the West African country first recorded a case in March.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, the Head of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service, Dr Badu Sakordie, said the age-range of the deaths is from nine to 82 years.

“Males are having highest range in death in all age groups with the exception of 25 to 34 years where the death rate is the same,” he noted.

He was, however, quick to add that most of the deaths (91 per cent) had underlying heath conditions aside the COVID-19.

He mentioned diabetes, chronic liver diseases, asthma, obesity, stroke, prostatic conditions, acute kidney diseases, and congestive heart failure as some of the other health conditions that complicated the cases of the COVID-19 dead victims in the country.

About 427 new cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in Ghana making the total case count 5, 127.

According to the Ghana Health Service, out of the 427 cases, 272 came from Obuasi in the Ashanti region.

The number of recoveries still stand at 494 with another 130 patients awaiting their second negative test to be declared recovered.

The death toll is still 22 with active cases at 4, 611.

Regional breakdown:

Greater Accra Region – 3,981

Ashanti Region – 662

Central Region – 154

Eastern Region – 99

Western North Region – 56

Western Region – 52

Volta Region – 33

Upper East Region – 26

Oti Region – 24

Upper West Region – 21

Northern Region – 16

North East Region – 2

Bono Region – 1

Savannah Region – 0

Ahafo Region – 0

Bono East Region – 0

Fund

The COVID-19 National Trust Fund of Ghana has so far received about forty-four million, nine hundred thousand Ghana Cedis in donations since it was established.

The fund was set up by government to receive donations from institutions and individuals in the country to augment the efforts of the state in the fight against the spread of the novel Covid-19 in Ghana.

The Chairperson of the Fund made the disclosure when she addressed a brief ceremony held at the Forecourt of the offices of the Fund at the Jubilee House, Point Six, to release twelve (12) vehicles donated to the Fund to treatment centres and testing laboratories who are at the forefront of the country’s fight against the novel Coronavirus, Covid-19.

Lady Chief Justice (Rtd) Sophia Akuffo, stated that the Trust has so far received Forty Four Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHc 44,900,000.00) in donations and that the Board of Trustees will ensure the transparent use of same. She urged the general public to respect and adhere to all the social distancing and prevention protocols announced by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in order to ensure that we protect each other as a people.

“We are happy to announce that the Fund has so far, in addition to generous gifts in kind, the details of which we more than willing to share with any interested person, we have received an amount of Forty Four Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHc 44,900,000.00). The Board of Trustees will ensure the judicious and transparent application of all monies and other resources received for their intended purposes,” Justice Sophia Akuffo said.

Justice Sophia Akuffo further called on other automobile companies in Ghana to donate more four-wheeled vehicles to the Fund in order to support its planned agenda to furnish all regional hospitals with “4X4 cars.”

Minister of State in Charge of State Interest and Governance Authority, Kwaku Afriyie, in his welcome remarks urged the receiving institutions to use the vehicles effectively to support the country’s battle against the Covid-19 pandemic.

The vehicles presented include ten (10) Cobalt LTZ Chevrolet cruize saloon car, one (1) Mitsubishi L200 pick up and one NP 300 Hardbody Nissan pick-up.

The list of receiving institutions and centres are Zinal Public Health Isolation Centre Laboratory (ZPHL), Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR), Central Care Management Team, University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), Covid-19 Testing Centre and the Pentecost Convention Hospital Isolation Centre.

The rest are the Tamale National Public Health Laboratory (NPHLT), University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), LEKMA Hospital, Kumasi South Regional Hospital, Veterinary Division Laboratory, National Public Health Reference Laboratory (NPHRL) Korle-Bu and the Tema General Hospital.

Source: Daily Mail GH