Coronavirus: Health Coalition calls on MMDAs to stem community spread

The Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Health (GCNH) on Thursday called on the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to scale up precautionary measures and strengthen surveillance to stem community spread of the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19).

The GCNH has observed that community-based infection of the COVID-19 “is beginning to show a threat than we imagined”, and entreated traditional and religious bodies to support public education and advocacy to fight local transmission.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, Dr. Gabriel Gbiel Benarkuu, the National Chairman of the Coalition noted the populace still did not understand the use of nose masks and social and physical distancing as a remedy to fight the COVID-19.

Because of this many Ghanaians are still not adhering to the protocols, despite continuous surging of COVID-19 figures, he said and urged the MMDAs to intensify public education and make available enough masks for the masses.

“Over the last two weeks the GCNH has the opportunity to visit strategic districts and market centres/lorry stations. We randomly collected data and made observations as well.”

“There is a huge misconception around the use of the face mask. This is dangerous for Ghana since proper and consistent use of the nose mask has a great impact on breaking the chain of the spread of the virus”, Dr. Benarkuu stated.

He underscored the need for the country to support research into local vaccine experimentation and production for the COVID-19.

Dr. Benarkuu observed with concern that sociological and psychological interventions on the COVID-19 control remained low, and required concerted efforts to contain.

He, therefore, called on the Ministry of Health to support Ghana’s Public Health and Socio-Psychological systems with logistics to enable it to function properly.

“Intelligence gathered from our networks suggests some religious groups are trying to put pressure on Government to open up, we do not support this at all. Even the science is failing almost governments globally”.

Dr. Benarkuu indicated adaptation strategies ought to be properly rolled out to affected families, communities and regions, and appealed to the managers of the COVID 19 Trust Fund, to provide enough funds to the MMDAs.