Friday, 29 March

More questions to gov’t on COVID-19 pandemic

Feature Article
Coronavirus has killed thousands in China and around the world

NATIONAL WATCH, a Public Interest Advocacy Platform, since the declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic, has led the call for the government of Ghana to establish mandatory places of quarantine to hold travellers entering Ghana from any COVID-19 hit country. 

 

That position had been vindicated when the government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Health (MoH) and Ghana Health Service (GHS), later realised how unproductive the self-quarantine directive had become, switching to the preferred mandatory quarantine, flowing from which 78 persons out of over a 1,000 travellers who underwent mandatory quarantine tested positive for COVID-19. 

 

In the spirit of being able to identify and properly deal with the problem at hand so that we rather do not get consumed by it, we urge the Akufo-Addo-led government to operate with a lot more candour.

 

Now, NATIONAL WATCH, in acknowledging the government's effort for the need to expand the contact-tracing net, wishes to specifically find out how many travellers within the timelines of March 3, 2020, and now, had been identified as 'tested'? How many more are left to be identified? Again, how many of those identified are waiting for the test?

 

This has become necessary on the back of the Ghana Medical Association's public information that the government is unable to trace some of the travellers who flew into Ghana about 2 weeks ago and that their details, including contacts provided on their travel manifest, have proven to be unreliable. 

 

Beyond that, the issues surrounding the sad passing of Nana Osei Boansi Kufour, who happened to be the father of Obour, former MUSIGA President, have opened a can of worms, partly exposing the government's half-hearted commitment toward the COVID-19 pandemic.  

 

The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, says the issue in question is under investigationf by the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge) and at other various levels. 

 

To satisfy our curiosity and that of the larger public on the matter, here are a few questions regarding the investigations;

 

1. Aside from the Ridge Hospital, at which other levels are investigating on the matter ongoing?

 

2. What is the membership and level of relevant expertise of the investigative bodies/groups? 

 

3. Who commissioned the investigative bodies/groups? 

 

4. What are their Terms of Reference (ToR)? 

 

5. What timelines have they been given to submit their report? 

 

These questions have become very important, particularly at a time that there are investigations conducted in the past, in matters so dear to the heart of the public, but whose content on completion were denied the people. 

 

Finally, as a result of the government's lip service in meeting the critical needs (PPE, test kits etc.) in our health care institutions, we have observed, with deep concern, the considerable consternation amongst health workers across the country. The last thing Ghana needs at this time is a leadership that is not proactive in providing for its army of health workers and a health care army that is scared of the medical war. The consequences do not portend well for Ghana. The earlier the government attends to this shortages, the better.

 

Thank you.

 

NATIONAL WATCH

 

signed

 

Group Spokespersons

 

Koku Mawuli Nanegbe

0243388488

 

Kofi Adoli

0244882790

 

Source: National Watch