Ghana Health Service says it’s not massaging COVID-19 figures to suit government
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has denied claims that, it is ‘massaging’ Ghana’s Coronavirus case counts to suit Government’s interest.
A former Medical Director of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge), Dr Thomas Winsum Anabah, has allegedly accused the Government and the health officials for ‘massaging’ COVID-19 figures, and asserting that the caseload was over 40,000.
Dr Dacosta Aboagye, the Director of Health Promotion at the Ghana Health Service, said in a write-up, Dr. Anabah, who is currently the Executive Director of the African Center for Health Policy Research and Analysis (ACH- PRA), said: “It would not be wrong for one to conclude that the apparent decline we see in the COVID-19 active cases is deliberately engineered by the State to cover up for its own mismanagement of the pandemic and avoid being blamed for allowing the voter’s registration and re-opening of schools.
Dr Aboagye, who is also the lead for Risk Communication and Social Mobilisation for COVID-19 National Response Team told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in response that, “We have no interest in trying to massage the figures as being claimed, but we are committed to curbing the spread of the virus.”
He asserted that the figures were factual, and that the active cases were gradually declining, explaining that technological gadgets were used to run the system, hence, it would be difficult for anyone to massage the figures.
Dr Aboagye noted that the recoveries and low death rates were signs of good management and good interventions put in place.
“I wonder the motive behind the claims that the figures are massaged and the Committee working on the COVID-19 are all competent and responsible and have no interest to massage the figures,” he added.
As at Saturday, August 01, Ghana recorded 3,223 active cases, out of 35,501 confirmed cases.
The country has a total of 32,096 recoveries and discharges and 182 deaths.
Below are cases recorded in the regions:
Greater Accra-18, 273; Ashanti – 8, 770; Western-2,583; Central -1,430; Eastern-1,416; Volta-593; Bono East-483; Bono-439; Western North-363; Northern -354; Upper East-282; Oti-192; Ahafo-164; Upper West-88; Savannah-62; North East-09
Source: GNA