Management of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital has patted itself on the back for its Covid-19 case management, despite recording 81 related deaths, including a staff.

The figure represents more than half of the 135 national death from the virus.

Chief Executive, Dr. Oheneba Owusu-Danso, who was speaking at the first ever media briefing held by the hospital says their handling of the pandemic is one of the best in the country.

"In terms of the  rating of our management, I will say so far so good."

Komfo Anokye Hospital manages critically-ill Covid-19 patients in Ashanti and five other regions.

It’s a referral center for Ahafo, Bono and Bono East, Eastern , Northern and Western North Regions.

The hospital has so far admitted 827 Covid-19 cases from across these areas, including those in Ashanti.

Currently, 32 patients, including five children under-12, remain on admission at the hospital which has the worst Covid-19 fatalities nationwide.

Dr. Oheneba Owusu-Danso says a 54 persons, representing 71 per cent of 81, died within 48-hours of arriving at the hospital.

Nine others were brought in dead, prompting official investigation into the trend.

"The patients who were brought in dead but who tested positive out of the suspicion from the history are nine. That accounts for 11.8 % of all the deaths recorded .

"The mortality in patients who upon arrival died within the first 24-hours comes to 25 and those who died  between 24-hours and 48-hours  comes to 29 giving the total of 54 and it tells you this is a very huge number who  died within a very short period upon arrival in the hospital," Dr Owusu-Danso disclosed.

He adds that "clearly speaking, this is why those statistics are very significant for us as healthcare professionals that's why we are worried about late reporting  of the patients.

"It could have significance in the way the case outcomes would  be. If you look at those figures of people who are coming in and you go to examine them they are already gone. And then you look at those people who come in, they are already gasping for breath. This is not the best way anybody wants to examine or care for patients."

He cites stigmatization and late reporting of cases, among others, as some of the reasons for the high Covid-19 related deaths.

"From what we are seeing here, we think that stigma is actually one of  our  challenge in dealing with this disease.

People are not owning up; people are not reporting early, people are shying away from hospitals."                                                                                                       

Meanwhile, the 203 out of 254 staff  members who tested positive have recovered.

Dr. Oheneba Owusu-Danso revealed management has over time ensured adequate supply of PPEs to staff.

"We do not have any serious issue with PPEs. We have every item in stock. Talk about facemasks, in thousands, examination gloves also in thousands."