The Ashanti Regional Health Director, Dr. Emmanuel Tenkorang has insistently warned residents to oblige to the laid down protocols and guidelines of COVID-19 in view of the fact that Health facilities in the Region “is nothing to write home about as far as cases are concerned”.

According to him, the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital is the only facility designed to manage severe and life-threatening cases as compared to the Greater Accra, which has several advantages yet if adhering to the various protocols is ignored, mortalities are likely to increase in the Ashanti Region.

He appealed to the media to help in disseminating information to the public on the impending danger when practices are rebuffed.

“My appeal to people in the Ashanti Region is, let us obey instructions. Let us adhere by the laid down protocols and guidelines because with the ease of restrictions it is likely that we may have cases going up,” he heatedly disclosed.

“The facilities we have in Ashanti region is nothing to write home about as far as cases are concerned. Accra may have UGMC, Korle Bu, 37 Military, and Police Hospital. Ashanti, apart from Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital we don’t have any facility that can manage the severe and critically ill. And that means that if we continue in this direction, we'll see high mortalities.

“So what we need to do as a region is to make sure that we adhere to the public health principles other than that we will have a lot of challenges. So what the media can do to help us is that let us try and talk to people. People who don’t want to obey any laws in this country. We need to deal with them."

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The Ashanti Region has recorded 2,403 cases of coronavirus as of Wednesday, June 17, 2020, with 38 deaths and 778 recoveries. The wearing of facemasks in the country was strictly enforced by the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and a release by the Ghana Police Service on Monday, June 15, 2020, "expected the immediate compliance from the general public" yet majority have ignored the practice choosing to live according to how they please.

Dr. Tenkorang in his address beseeched authorities to protect lives by going after those who unlawfully scraps laid down rules to adhere to Health services directives.

“We needed to enforce the wearing of the facemask. We have the support of the Regional Minister and even he started, and then some Civil Rights Organization came and say it’s against the law. Nothing is against the law more than your life. We will not continue to live in this situation in Ashanti.

“I believe that is the only way we have to go. It’s a challenge but we need individuals to fight it for us. We can’t fight it with fear, stigma, and discrimination, and people disregarding the rules and disobeying the law."

He assured that if the media embarks on consistent education of information regarding the virus, "we can assure you that we will flatten the curve, the infection rate, and mortality will continue to go down.”

“But if we disregard the protocols and guidelines, then I'm not a prophet but I’ll tell you the cases and mortality will continue to go up. And nobody should wake up and call Dr. Tenkorang and ask me why because I'm not going to answer you.

“The box starts with you. We do not sleep day in and out. You can come here at 11 pm and see what we do here. By 5 am, the calls will start coming. The issue is not the health worker or the president. It’s about you,” he ended.