Health minister designate is worried about poor Covid-19 compliance
- Health minister designate is unhappy about the low Covid-19 compliance
- Kwaku Agyemang Prempeh says government has done its part of ensuring safety
- Ghana is expecting some 2.4 million vaccine doses by March
The health minister designate, Kwaku Agyemang Prempeh, has lamented the poor compliance to Covid-19 protocol by a section of the public.
Addressing the Appointment Committee in parliament, the minister designate stated that despite the structures put in place by government to ensure that the virus does not spread, some Ghanaians still do not put on their masks and social distance.
“We can’t work in a vacuum. If upon all we do people do not wear their masks and abide by the protocol, then we are doomed,” he explained.
Vaccination
The Ghana Medical Association has revealed that more children and babies are contracting Covid-19. With cases increasing, there are some concerns for vulnerable populations as children to be vaccinated of the pandemic.
Speaking on Joy News Newsfile, Director-General of the Ghana Standards Authority, Dr. Alexander Dodoo insisted that despite the surge in Covid-19 cases, children, lactating mothers and pregnant women will not be vaccinated.
He further revealed that those with a weak immune system, allergies and underlying health conditions will not be inoculated as well.
Ghana is expecting about 19 million vaccine doses by the end of March 2020. Authorities have assured that the vaccine will be put to good use especially as cases continue to skyrocket.
Payment of fines
The Accra and Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly together with the Ghana Police Service, are imposing fines of 20 cedis on road users and traders who flout the mandatory mask-wearing mandate ordered by the President.
A Facebook post by a journalist with the Business and Financial Times, Osei Amankwah, shows a picture of the receipt acknowledging receipt of a 20 cedi fine imposed on one Dela.
So far, over 100,000 Ghanaians across the country have been arrested in a swoop by police officials for flouting the directive.
Ghana’s urgent current Covid-19 situation
Ghana has so far been added to the list of highly risky countries with a variant of the pandemic.
President Akufo Addo has introduced new restrictions - all wedding, parties and outdoor events are banned.
The Police survive has also been deployed to clamp down on Ghanaians flouting the mandatory mask-wearing directive.
Meanwhile, Ghana is expected to receive its first batch of 2.4 million vaccines by March, This will spark the first batch of inoculation even as the President aims to inoculate the entire population of 30 million.
Figures from the Ministry of Health shows a spike in daily numbers since December – this has been linked to indiscipline, flouting of covid-19 protocols and the elections.
Already, the Ghana Medical Association has warned the public that “their health is in their own hands” and hospitals get overstretched to deal with the surge of the virus.
Even as government races to curtail the spread of the virus, suspicions of a suppression of Covid-19 data keeps rising.
Journalists and some medical professionals are doubting the figures being churned by the Ministry of Health as they argue that they (the figures) are in sharp contrast with the reality at various medical facilities.
Source: YEN.com.gh
