Coronavirus: Gov’t has abandoned Ghanaians as cases rise – Akandoh

The minority group in Parliament has accused the government of failing to protect the public from the spread of the deadly COVID-19.

Cases of the highly infectious disease has been rising steadily with over 340 people succumbing to the virus.

In a statement on the floor, NDC spokesperson on Health Kwabena Mintah Akandoh described the government’s fight against the virus as a failure.

Speaking to Starr News, the Juaboso MP accused the government of failing to tell the public the truth about the rising cases.

This comes after the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) described the rate of COVID-19 infections in Ghana as “alarming and dire”.

According to the GMA, there is a need for an increased public awareness campaign and strict adherence to prevention protocols in order to stem the tide of infections in the country.

“This increasing case count can directly be attributed to 1. The total disregard for, and the lack of enforcement of all relevant COVID-19 preventive protocols throughout the country and 2. Importation of cases from other countries via travellers arriving at the point (s) of entry.

“The COVID-19 situation in the country is alarming and dire at this particular moment. The risk of the potential exponential rise in the number of cases cannot be discounted.

The various major health facilities (especially in the Accra Metropolis) involved in the management of moderate, severe and critically ill COVID-19 patients are overstretched,” the GMA said in a statement Thursday.

The GMA said testing should be made free or relatively cheaper for Ghanaians.

“The GMA calls for an urgent scale-up of COVID-19 Testing and Contact Tracing for all positive cases as well as strict isolation and management of all infected persons to help break the chain of transmission. Additionally, COVID-19 testing should be made free or relatively cheaper for the ordinary Ghanaian who needs testing as a result of direct exposure or when symptomatic for COVID-19. Furthermore, there should be government-led free mass testing in all identified COVID-19 hot spots. The GMA believes these will help address the current shortfalls in our testing and contact tracing regimes”.