Daniel Kweku Botwe
THE MINISTER of Regional Re-organisation, Daniel Kweku Botwe, who just recovered from Covid-19, has been sharing his experience with the public.
He expressed surprise about how he contracted the disease even though he said he had been following laid-down health protocols.
The experience of the illness varies greatly from person to person but Mr. Botwe, who is also the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Okere, said the psychological trauma of surviving the virus that has claimed many lives took a greater toll than the physical effects of the illness itself.
Sharing his experience on Accra-based Peace FM recently, Mr. Botwe disclosed that he was not exactly sure where the tipping point was, because he was deep into denial and telling himself it could not be the virus.
He recounted how he started feeling unwell but did not suspect it could be Covid-19 “because he was following all the safety protocols.”
“When I was going to UGMC, I didn’t know I had Covid-19. To the best of my knowledge, I followed all the Covid-19 protocols but the fact that it could happen should make us to continue to be extra careful. In spite of all the precautions I took, this happened. It’s surprising,” he noted.
He urged Ghanaians to take extra precaution and disabuse their minds of the misconceptions about the virus, pointing out that the virus is not designed for “high-profile people.”
“If I have been infected after all the precautions I took, it means we cannot be careful enough. The virus is not for high-profile people, and we need to get rid of such misconceptions,” he stressed.
Death rumours
Mr. Botwe stated that he was shaken by fake reports that he had died, adding that “I even had to do video calls with some concerned family members and friends to make them believe I was alive.”
He praised the health workers, particularly the nurses who took care of him, for their hard work, dedication and commitment to duty.
“I left UGMC so inspired and filled with praises and admiration for the nurses and doctors. Their dedication and attitude towards work are top-notch,” he indicated.
New Cases
Meanwhile, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) recorded additional 785 new cases of Covid-19 over the weekend, pushing the national tally to 24,248 as of July 12.
The GHS, in its latest update of the country’s case management, also recorded six Covid-19-related deaths to bring the toll to 135 from the previous 129.
Also, the number of Covid-19 patients discharged from treatment and isolation centres has shot up to 19,831.
The GHS has so far conducted 327,009 Covid-19 tests.
Active cases are 4,282.
Regional Breakdown
The Greater Accra Region is still leading the chart with 13,302 cases, followed by the Ashanti and Western regions with 5,150 and 2,128 cases respectively.
The Central Region has recorded 1,110 cases, Eastern Region, 911 cases; Volta Region, 387 cases; and the Upper East Region, 282 cases.
The Bono East Region has 201 cases, Northern Region, 186 cases; Western North Region, 173 cases; Oti Region, 115 cases; and Bono Region, 107 cases.
The Upper West Region has recorded 70 cases, Ahafo Region, 66 cases; Savannah Region, 51 cases; and the North East Region, nine cases.
By Ernest Kofi Adu & Jamila Akweley Okertchiri