Coronavirus: ‘Quarantine our children we’ll bear the cost’ - Parents of Ghanaian students stuck in China

Parents and families of the about 180 Ghanaian students stuck in China as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak have petitioned President Akufo-Addo, to as a matter of urgency evacuate these stranded students.

Fear has grasped the parents who want their children brought back to Ghana. According to them, the situation calls for ‘evacuation, not money on paper’.

They believe that the Ministry of Health has been insensitive to their pleas. Their petition also termed the decision by the government of Ghana not to evacuate the students as ‘unfortunate’ considering the fact that “relatively poorer countries such as Nepal, Seychelles, Bangladesh and Mauritania have all evacuated their citizens”.

“Government is not quick, they aren’t acting. I feel bad… I feel sad. I mean it (evacuation) should not be toiled with, so long as you contact the virus the incubation period is very short…we can lose him (son). All that we need is to get him back home safely,” says one of the traumatized parents, Mr. Joseph Ledlum.

“I am a mother, that is my first child, I cannot sleep, I cannot eat…how do I live? My child is my future and she could be the future of this nation too,”a mother who couldn’t hold back her tears told GhanaWeb.

According to the Ministry of Health, the government is reviewing the decision of evacuation Ghanaian nationals from China but have however stated that based on their engagement with World Health Organisation and West African Health Organisation, the country has been advised against undertaking mass evacuation.

“We are working in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, West African Health Organisation, US Centres for Disease Control and other Development Partners, discussing and reviewing our strategies day by day. So far, all advice through consultations and engagements is not encouraging us to undertake mass evacuation because sub-regional consultation- the West African Health Organisation is engaging member states and has not recommended evacuation yet,” a statement issued by the Ministry of Health said.

Currently, the death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in mainland China has reached at least 1,868 with 93 more deaths in Hubei and five more in other parts of the country.



In an interview with GhanaWeb, some parents who spoke to us stated that they were willing to pay the airfare should the government agree to bring their children back home. According to them, Ghanaians who are not yet affected by the virus need to be evacuated as soon as possible.

“We are asking the government to bring them (Ghanaian students) home, they are citizens of Ghana… they can hardly get food to eat, what he lives on is Lipton tea. He takes Lipton for the whole day, how long will he get that Lipton to keep him going.. they cannot go out, when they are sick where do they go to?,” Mr. James Adongo who is a parent of a stranded Ghanaian student in China questioned.

“If I don’t hear from him, I cannot do anything, every morning and evening we have to call before we go to bed. All he wants is to just come home, he doesn’t need anything apart from coming home and that is what we the parents want for him. We are worried and disturbed,” cried Faustina Ledlum, a mother whose son is also stuck in China.

“When my child called me she told me that, the Chinese are already overwhelmed so if any of us are sick, we cannot go out, we are even afraid to tell them that we are sick because they will add you to those affected with the Coronavirus,” says another parent, Ernestina Banoeyele.

In the petition for the immediate evacuation of Ghanaian citizens and students from Wuhan, China, the parents were hopeful that the President was going to respond to their plea.

“ As the President and father of all Ghanaians, home and abroad, His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, should his responsibilities as the father of his helpless children and more importantly, his constitutional obligation of protecting Ghanaian citizens and interest of Ghana abroad to quickly airlift this worthy sons and daughters of the land from Wuhan, China.”

The parents are however calling for the resignation of the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, for allegedly saying that “the government will send shito, gari and banku and kenkey to the students(Ghanaians) in Wuhan”. Adding that his statements were unfortunate and disappointing.