Coronavirus: Railway Minister commiserates with three paramouncies in the Eastern Region

Joe Ghartey, Railways Development Minister, has visited the chiefs and people of Akwamu, Manya Krobo and Yilo Krobo Traditional Areas in the Eastern Region, following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Ghartey, who was accompanied on his tour by Mr Kwaku Agyenim Boateng, a Deputy Minister of Railways Development and Mr Eric Kwakye Daffour, the Eastern Regional Minister, paid courtesy calls on Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III, Omanhene of Akwamu Traditional Area; and Nene Sakite II, the Konor of Manya Krobo Traditional Area at their palaces at Akwamufie and Odumase Krobo respectively.

The delegation also met some chiefs from the Yilo Krobo Traditional Area at the Yilo Krobo District Assembly in Somanya.

It would be recalled that early this month, the Eastern Region recorded its first case of COVID-19 in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality, when the patient, who is an Indian working with the company constructing the Tema-Mpakadan railway line, returned to Ghana after a visit to his home country.

So far, the number of COVID-19 cases within the Region along the Tema-Mpakadan railway enclave has risen above 20, of which all have being quarantined at AFCON camp B at Kpong in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality.

Mr Ghartey, who offered COVID-19 relief items (such as veronica buckets, small-size basins, gallons of liquid soap and detergents, rice and gallons of cooking oil) to the three paramouncies, said the nation would rise to the challenge and overcome the outbreak.

The same kind gesture was extended by the Minister to the Asuogyaman District, the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal and Yilo Krobo Municipal Assemblies.

Mr Ghartey also presented an amount of GH¢10,000.00 and COVID-19 relief items and personal protective equipment (PPE) to the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Health Directorate, as part of efforts to contain the disease outbreak.

He appealed to the traditional authorities to help educate the people on the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for them to follow the laid down protocols such as social distancing, handwashing with soap under running water and the use of alcohol based hand sanitisers to contain the disease.

He recalled that when the President was announcing the lockdown as part of measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, he exempted railway workers; Mr Gharety explained that due to the outbreak of the disease in the camp of the railway workers, work on the Tema-Mpakadan railway line had been suspended.

Owing to this unfortunate situation, he said, the scheduled deadline for the completion of the project in August this year would not be met.

Odeneho Akoto said prior to the outbreak of the disease in the traditional area, he had already establish the COVID-19 Fund as part of measures to contain the disease.

The Akwamuhene as well appealed to Government to help equip the District Health Directorate with the necessary tools and equipment such as the PPE, so that they would be in a position to deal swiftly with any COVID-19 cases.

On his part, Nene Sakite lauded President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his efforts and commitment towards containing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Daffour appealed to members of the public to avoid stigmatizing COVID-19 patients; explaining that stigmatization would it make difficult for people with the virus to come forward and seek medical treatment.

Mr Samuel Kwame Agyekum, District Chief Executive, Asuogyaman District Assembly; Mr Kupualor Ebenezer Tetteh, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Yilo Krobo Municipality; and Mr Simon Kwaku Tetteh, MCE, Lower Manya Krobo Municipality, all expressed their gratitude to the Railway Ministry for the timely support.

Mr Bismark Sarkodie, Health Director, Lower Manya Krobo District, also expressed his profound gratitude to the Railway Minister for the timely intervention saying: “I must say, this has come at the right time, when we are fighting this COVID-19; where you don’t have the logistics and I am sure my men and women will be very happy.”

He said the items would be shared equally among hospitals, clinics, health centres and chip compounds within the area, as part measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.