On May 8, 2021, this tweet under the hashtags #FixThecountryGhana and #NameandShame made sarcastic remarks against Ghana’s health care system.
Welcome to my country where we start the hustle from infancy😪#NameAndShame #FixingTheCountryGhana pic.twitter.com/aBKRzftDQf
— American Muslim👳🏼♂️🔌🇺🇸 (@YungYellow9) May 8, 2021
Showing the same image of infants arranged on plastic seats, this tweet went up on the internet a day later, addressing gaps in Ghana’s health care system, with over 258 retweets and 28 quote tweets.
In Ghana newly born babies are arranged in plastic chairs, whilst their mothers cling on the floors because there are not enough beds for both of them. I guess if the babies weren’t lazy and dependent, and if they changed their attitudes the govt will come to their aid 🙂 #FixIt pic.twitter.com/hcXGWnPQGs
— SIMPLY ANNE👩🏽🦱🖤🇬🇭 (@AbenaMole) May 9, 2021
Background
Ghana has a poor healthcare system, ranging from limited bed space to health providers’ burnout. The most recent case is that of a 12-year-old boy who died as a result of the ‘no-bed syndrome’, referring to a situation where there is limited bed space for patients. This is an example of the current state of healthcare in Ghana. Conversations surrounding #FixTheCountryGhana have centred around calls for reforms in healthcare, housing, media rights and governance sectors.
Verification
A reverse image search shows that this image first surfaced on the internet on August 15, 2019, from Kawempe General Referral Hospital. This hospital, located on Bombo Road, in Uganda, had reported an overwhelming number of patients resulting in a shortage of beds.
A tweet on the same day attributed these images of infants to Kawempe Hospital. This hospital is said to attract quite a number of expectant women, something that explains the limited bed space.
Health ministry admits Kawempe hospital is overcrowded after photos of babies squeezed in one small space.
Kawempe National Referral Hospital delivers 80-100 babies daily and 2,500 babies monthly translating to approximately 30,000 babies per year. pic.twitter.com/VDk6q8dGy0
— Rogers Atukunda (@rarrigz) August 15, 2019
According to the Uganda Ministry of Health, an average of 80 – 100 babies are delivered daily and 2,500 per month. Approximately 30,000 babies are delivered annually in this hospital, according to the ministry. The hospital’s overcrowding is said to have been caused by an increased number of referrals from lower health facilities around Kampala, Wakiso, Mukono and other parts of Uganda.
Blaming the public for overreacting to these images of infants on plastic chairs, the Ministry of Health assured Ugandans that the babies were in a temperature-regulated environment and infection, prevention and control measures were adhered to ensuring they were not in any danger.
Verdict
The image claiming to show infants on plastic seats in Ghana is MISLEADING. This image was taken in Uganda in 2019.
This story was produced by Africa Uncensored in partnership with Code for Africa with support from Deutsche Welle Akademie.
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