Some staff of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital have been asked to stay home as part of the facility's efforts to protect frontline health workers against contracting the coronavirus.

These staff members include pregnant women, diabetic health workers and other professionals suffering some chronic diseases.

CEO of the Korle-Bu, Dr. Daniel Asare told JoyNews' Kwesi Parker-Wilson that it was important the hospital took these steps because the virus was no respecter of persons.

“Whether you are a health staff, a politician, or an ordinary person, keep the social distance, wash your hands and use your sanitisers wherever you are.”

The directive follows the news of a doctor and a nurse of the facility testing positive for the virus. The health facility has isolated the two and said to be are responding to treatment.

The development has created anxiety and panic among health workers, affecting health service delivery whilst demoralising some.

However, Dr Asare told Parker-Wilson that the hospital has deployed clinical psychologists to engage the staff and allay their fears.

“People expect front liners to also come out to assure the public…so we are managing the anxiety, panic and fear among them. There are clinical psychologists who are also behind the scene making sure that we have all the morale and conditioned so that we carry on the fight.”

Mr. Asare is confident that the measures put in place including the provision of PPEs would aid frontline workers to discharge their duties without fear.

Meanwhile, staff members at the Korle-Bu accident and emergency center are being tested for the coronavirus.

This comes after the workers accused the hospital’s management of concealing the result of a patient who was tested positive for Covid-19 a few days after he visited the accident unit.

The staff protested until officials from Noguchi Memorial Institute were sent to begin a mass testing of staff in the area.

The accident and emergency center has also been closed for disinfection.