<<Print>>

The Bono East Regional Director of Health, Dr Fred Adomako Boateng, has advised family members to desist from mounting pressure on health workers and the Rapid Response Teams to release their relatives who have been put under mandatory quarantine on suspicion of having contracted the COVID-19 disease.

He said that health workers, the response teams, and other stakeholders frequently received requests of release and threats from relatives of persons suspected to have contacted the virus.

Dr Boateng was speaking to the Daily Graphic at Nkoranza during a four-day tour by the Bono East Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Amoakohene, to the 11 municipalities and districts to monitor the preparedness of the assemblies towards the fight against COVID-19.

He said the Ghana Health Service (GHS) had been taking good care of the suspected COVID-19 patients and ensuring that they did not encounter any problem while under the mandatory quarantine, explaining that it was important to isolate such persons to prevent them from spreading the virus should they be found to be carrying it.

Compulsory testing

Dr Boateng disclosed that plans were far advanced for compulsory COVID-19 tests for all food vendors and drivers of commercial vehicles in the region, explaining that those groups had been penciled for the exercise because they rendered services to a large number of people.

“The GHS, in collaboration with political heads and traditional leaders in the region, has decided to enhance its surveillance by testing all food venders, trotro and taxi drivers in the region.

"It is a kind of innovation we are introducing in the region,” he stated.

Dr Boateng said the GHS was working hard to get the list of all the food vendors, trotro, and taxi drivers in the region and as soon as the resources were released, they would commence the testing.

Face mask

Speaking at Kajeji in the Sene East District, the Deputy Bono East Regional Minister, Mr Martin Oti Gyarko, charged the assembly and other stakeholders not to allow persons from the Oti Region without face masks to enter the region.

He also directed the district health directorates to screen and get contacts of persons from the Oti Region before allowing them to enter the region.

At Busunya in the Nkoranza North District, the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mrs Gifty Akosa Arthur, said all the tourist centres in the district had been closed down in a bid to halt the spread of the virus and cited the Buabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary and Manso Water Falls as facilities that had been closed down.

She said the assembly had trained 160 health workers to improve their knowledge and skills on how to handle COVID-19 cases when the need arose.

At Techiman, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr John Donyina, mentioned the influx of people from other regions and the lack of means of transport for COVID-19 activities as some of the challenges the assembly faced.

He said the assembly had procured and distributed 5,000 nose masks, 50 gallons of hand sanitisers, 20 thermometer guns and boxes of hand gloves to some market women and some community members to help fight the virus.

Recommendation

For his part, Mr Amoakohene commended the chiefs and people in the region for adhering to the ban on all public gatherings, including festivals, religious activities, funerals, political rallies, and nightclubbing, among other events.

According to him, no case had been reported by the police in the region on persons flouting the orders. He, therefore, expressed gratitude to the chiefs and people for their preparedness to assist in the fight against the disease.

“Let us continue to provide support for the government and I am confident that the Almighty God will surely heal our land and this too shall pass”, he stated.