The Ashanti Regional Health Director Dr. Emmanuel Tenkorang has said hypertension is one of the underlying medical conditions that have contributed to the 253 coronavirus deaths in the region.

Dr. Tenkorang said some of patients died because they had hypertension and contracted coronavirus.

He indicated that people suffering from hypertension have little chance of surviving Covid-19.

He was addressing the media on Monday, 17th May 2021 at the World Hypertension Day celebration in Kumasi where several people were screened.

The event was on the theme: "Measure your blood pressure accurately, control it and live longer".

Dr. Tenkorang also took the opportunity to launch the Adult Health Record Book where the health status of a person will be recorded anytime the patient goes to the hospital to check his or her blood pressure and the likes.

He noted that hypertension is becoming high in young adults aged 25.

He said hypertension accounts for about 42 percent of all the deaths in non-communicable diseases and also accounts for 19 percent of all the cardiovascular implications in Ghana.

Dr. Tenkorang further noted that 63 percent of Ghanaians who have hypertension do not know they have the disease.

The health director entreated people to go for routine checkups to know their status.