How Ghana’s Health Minister Distributed Coronavirus at his Friend’s Birthday Party

Details are emerging that, the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, might be the one who got the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Lydia Dsane-Selby, infested with the coronavirus at her birthday party.

The Herald’s information is that, Dr. Lydia Dsane-Selby, who yesterday announced that she has tested positive for the novel Coronavirus and called on friends who might have had contact with her to isolate themselves, recently turned 60-years, and had a birthday bash, which was attended by the Health Minister.

The fallout is that both that Mr Agyeman-Manu and Dr. Dsane-Selby, a medical doctor, have been declared positive with reports that many officials at the NHIA, including the deputies of the NHIA boss, officials of the Ministry of Health, who graced the occasion are suspected to be living with the virus.

Details of the birthday party are sketchy, but reports are that the Health Minister who is leading the fight against the pandemic, attended a birthday party organized by NHIA CEO, while President Akufo-Addo, is preaching social and physical distancing, have left many people in total shock and disappointment.

Speaking in an interview on Asaase Radio, yesterday, Dr. Dsane-Selby, revealed that tests conducted on her by health professionals came out positive on Sunday; a day after the Health Minister, was pronounced positive.

This means everyone who came into contact with the Health Minister at the party, might have been infested by him.

Indeed, his driver and police bodyguard, are reported to have been infested already. There are, however, doubts about his wife and son, also being infested.

According to Dr. Dsane-Selby, she has since tried her possible best to reach out to family and friends to appeal to them to isolate and contact appropriate health professionals.

In her explanation, she noted that the NHIA head office, has since been disinfected and some staff who came into contact with her also asked to self-isolate. The facility, together with its affiliates across the country remains operational.

Dr. Lydia Dsane-Selby in the same breath, cautioned Ghanaians to continue adhere to safety precautionary measures to avert the dire consequences of contracting the disease.

Meanwhile, the Health Minister, who also tested positive for the virus has been discharged from the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), where he was receiving treatment for Covid-19, the Information Minister has disclosed.

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, told journalists at a press briefing that the Health Minister will now continue his recovery at home.

He said he had spoken to Mr Agyeman Manu, who confirmed his discharge from the UGMC.

There were earlier contradicting reports that the Minister, had not contracted the virus and was only ‘resting’ at the UGMC.

However, on Sunday, President Akufo-Addo in his 11th address to the nation on the administration’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, confirmed that Agyeman-Manu had “contracted the virus in the line of duty.”

He called on Ghanaians to pray for the Health Minster and all others who are being treated for the novel coronavirus disease.

Agyeman-Manu expressed his gratitude to the President and other well-wishers.

“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the President and all Ghanaians for your well wishes and prayers. By the grace of God, I’m responding to treatment,” he said in a post on his Facebook wall.

Source: The Herald