Doctors at the three medical facilities handling the victims of the May 9, 2017, Takoradi gas explosion are struggling to take care of some of them, as a result of the lack of critical care units in the region to handle their conditions.
The facilities are the Takoradi Hospital, Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) Hospital.
In view of that, those in critical condition are being prepared for transfer to the Central Regional Hospital (Interbeton) in Cape Coast, for further treatment.
No burns and trauma units
The region currently has no burns and trauma units or critical care units in any of the health facilities to handle severe cases of burns.
According to the medical team at the Takoradi Hospital, 14 out of the more than 30 victims were being prepared for transfer to the Central Region.
The Medical Director at the Takoradi Hospital, Dr Fred Otubour, described the burns the victims suffered as very serious and advised that the earlier the patients were sent to a better facility with critical units, the better.
He said some of the victims who were sent to the hospital had been treated and discharged and others were still on admission.
“But the 14 victims will be moved to a facility with a critical care unit. We are working together with other facilities to see how best we can get help to move them to the Central Region on time,” Dr Otubour added.
The Medical Director at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, Dr Richard Anthony, said 83 of the victims were brought to the hospital by the police, personnel of the National Fire Service and some students.
He said they comprised those with serious burns, minor burns and those who fell and suffered fractures while fleeing from the explosion area.
He said victims who sustained burns that were not serious were discharged last Wednesday, while others would spend two to three weeks at the facility.
Asked if the facility had received any financial support from any quarter, to take care of the victims, Dr Anthony stated that the hospital was yet to receive any form of financial assistance.
“We are here to serve. When the victims were brought in we did not pursue any financial interest but rather took them in and gave the needed care, with the hope that any financial matters would be later taken care of,” he added.
However, some of the victims who had been discharged told the Daily Graphic that they had to bear the cost of treatment.
Regional minister
The Western Regional Minister, Dr Kweku Afriyie, who visited the victims at the various hospitals, commended the medical team, the police, the Fire personnel and the Ambulance Service, for saving the situation.
He said it was a miracle that no death was recorded and pledged his support to ensure that those on admission were properly taken care of for them to recover and return to their daily activities.
Background
More than 100 people sustained various degrees of injury last Tuesday when a gas tanker exploded on the Sekondi/Takoradi highway near former Primewood.
The injured included personnel of the Ghana Police Service and Ghana National Fire Service, passers-by and some students.
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