Hanna Tetteh's 'Ebola politics' "childish" - MP

A member of the Health Committee of Ghana’s Parliament, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, has described as “childish”, the political slant added to a travel advisory by the West African country’s Foreign Affairs Minister over the deadly Ebola virus.

Hanna Tetteh, at a press conference Thursday, said the disease is no respecter of persons, and therefore warned that those wishing the virus on the country could end up becoming victims themselves, since Ebola does not discriminate on political lines.

It “will affect both NDC and NPP people should it break in the country,” Tetteh warned.

Although Ghana is yet to record a case of Ebola, the government has put in place measures to avoid an outbreak. They include a postponement of re-opening of universities in the country, as well as a directive by the President for Ghc6 million to be released towards fighting a possible outbreak of the haemorrhagic fever in Ghana, should it make an entry from any of the four affected countries.

The disease has killed more than 1,000 people so far in Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

Speaking on the preventive measures, Dr Opoku Prempeh said the government must be commended for the steps taken so far, but condemned the foreign affairs Minister for her claims that some people are wishing for an outbreak of the disease in Ghana.

“I agree with the call for caution to be exercised and the government must be commended but it is childish for her to draw NDC and NPP in this matter. We must get real on the ground", the Medical Doctor told Accra-based Joy FM.