Breast cancer patients undergoing Chemotherapy at the Korle Teaching Hospital asked to stay away because of uncertainty about the contacts they’ve made amidst the covid-19 fight.
As Ghana adopts the all government approach in tackling the coronavirus pandemic, it appears people suffering other terminal infections are being left behind as cancer patients undergoing Chemotherapy at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital are asked to stay away indefinitely for no apparent reason.
The patients, who find themselves in a dire situation, are alleging the health workers are withdrawing their services over fears of contracting the coronavirus because they do not have PPEs.
In an interview at her lonely home somewhere in the Central region, the stage three breast cancer patient, who spoke on condition of anonymity to JoyNews’ Latif Iddrisu said, “asking us to stay away is a nice way of telling us that go home and die.”
Like many other patients battling breast cancer, the directive for them to stay away as precautionary measure, has ‘shattered their hopes’ following successes chalked following years of chemotherapy and treatment.
In an emotional tone, the patient appealed to authorities to step in “so that we will not die.”
“I am afraid because cancer spreads so I cannot stay at home missing treatment and not knowing what is going on inside my body,” she said.
It is also taking psychological toll on the patients. Responding to questions, she said “it has really affected me psychologically because I haven’t been myself since the hospital called.”
Responding to concerns raised by the patients, some of whom at the terminal stage of the cancer, authorities at the Korle-Bu teaching hospital corroborated concerns raised by the patients saying, it is in the interest of the patients to stay away.
Chief Executive Officer of the facility, Dr Daniel Asare said the directive is for particular patients undergoing chemotherapy.
“Because of Covid-19, if you continue to get immunosuppression, you are predisposing yourself to having severest form of covid-19…so we asked them to stay off and give us a small break so that when Covid-19 is hopefully gone, they’ll know the new regime that they will work with,” he added.