Family of deceased Coronavirus patient faces stigma

The family of the 19-year-old boy, who died of Covid-19 at the Walewale Government Hospital, is facing stigma from community members.

DGN Online gathered that the death of the boy and the name of the family house were announced on a popular radio station in Walewale.

A visit by DGN Online to the house in Walewale revealed that the family members feel depressed over the stigma.

An auntie of the deceased (name withheld) told DGN Online that her friends refused to visit and console her due to the fact that they heard that the boy died of COVID-19.

“My colleagues were supposed to be with me and mourn with me but because they heard that our son died of covid-19 via the radio they have all abandoned me, ” she said.

The spokesperson for the family, Ibrahim Alhassan, told DGN Online that women in the family who sell at the market are being refused entry due to the covid-19 stigma.

“They were going to market and they told them that there’s no space in the market for them to sell because everybody in Walewale know the family they come from,” he said.

He noted that the mention of the name of the deceased father, grandfather, family house on radio in Walewale caused the stigmatisation of the family. The family wonders why they were mentioned noting that throughout this covid-19 issue, they have never heard any mention of patients or deceased persons names or family.

A 19-year-old boy died at the Walewale government hospital after he was brought to the facility reportedly coughing and showing symptoms of covid-19.

The hospital took a sample and sent to the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research for testing and the result came back positive.

Meanwhile, residents are living in fear since news broke that a native died of the covid-19 virus.