Coronavirus: Female Ministers set to begin distribution of protective equipment to market women

Female Ministers of State, led by Hajia Alima Mahama, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, on Friday initiated a market sensitization programme to enlighten people on the novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).

As part of the sensitization programme and the quest to control the spread of COVID-19, they are also going to distribute protective equipment including water dispensers, hand washing bowls, disposable tissue papers, hand sanitizers and liquid soaps, to markets.

Thermal Fogging machines were also provided by the Ministries to fumigate the markets and selected communities within Accra and other parts of the country.

The Ministers included Mrs Barbra Oteng-Gyasi, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture; Mrs Ursula Owusu Ekuful, the Minister of Communication; Mrs Mavis Hawa Koomson, the Minister of Special Development Initiatives; Mrs Cynthia Morrison, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection; and Mrs Patricia Appiagyei, the Deputy Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.

Each Minister is expected to spearhead the sensitization programme in a number of markets in a Region until the entire country is covered.

Hajia Mahama said the initiative was aimed at reaching markets across the country, and was a response to the President’s directive for the Local Government Ministry to collaborate with the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to strengthen the education on the need to ensure hygiene and proper sanitation practices amid the COVID-19 at the local levels.

She said the Ministry through the sensitisation programme, is going to distribute 10 ‘veronica buckets’, 10 jumbo tissue papers, one carton of liquid soap containing 24 bottles, four waste bins, 50 masks, and two cartons of sanitizers containing 44 pieces to every market.

However, bigger markets like Agbogbloshie, Makola and Kantamanto would get double the number proposed.

She said the Ministry procured the equipment with funds from the District Assembly Common Fund.

“Cynthia Morrison is going to Madina Market; Barbara to markets within Osu Klottey; Ursula Owusu to the Kaneshie Market; Mavis Hawa Koomson to Tema; and from Monday, each of us will handle the programme in a Region,” she said.

Hajia Mahama said they would ensure that the market women are grouped into groups of not more than 25 for the sensitization.

To safeguard the entire citizenry, the Minister advised the citizenry to reduce the rate at which they went out and should go out only at critical moments.

She also appealed to traders in the markets not to let their children especially, those who have been vacated from boarding houses to assist them in the markets.