COVID-19: Minister of Health has been discharged from hospital; treatment at home

GNA–Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has announced that the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has been discharged from the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) and is continuing his treatment at home.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah, responding to a question from a journalist about the condition of the Health Minister at a news conference, on Monday, said he had spoken to Mr Agyeman-Manu, who told him that he was responding to treatment at home.

President Akufo-Addo in his 11th national address to update citizens on the COVID-19 pandemic and containment measures, confirmed that the Health Minister had contracted the disease in the line of duty and wished him a speedy recovery.

This follows earlier speculations in a section of the media that the Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Dormaa Central had contracted the virus.

Mr Agyeman-Manu is a leading member of the Government’s COVID-19 response team, and often stressed the need for Ghanaians to observe the social distancing directives and comply with other safety protocols, during the Minister’s briefings hosted by the Information Ministry on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The Health Minister in a social media post expressed his gratitude to the President and all well-meaning Ghanaians for their best wishes since the news broke out.

The confirmation of Mr Agyeman-Manu’s status makes him the third government official to have tested positive for COVID-19.

The other two are; the former Mayor of Sekondi- Takoradi, Mr Anthony K. K. Sam, who succumbed to the disease on Friday, June 12; and Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Papa Owusu-Ankomah.

Papa Owusu-Ankomah has since recovered.

GNA