Most Ghanaian students in Wuhan don’t want to return home now – GHS boss

Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Aboagye, has said that a survey carried out by government revealed that most Ghanaian students in Wuhan are against being evacuated amidst the widespread of the coronavirus.

He said this partly informed government’s decision not to evacuate the students.

Speaking to Bernard Avle on Citi TV’s Point of View Monday evening, Dr Aboagye said “a significant number didn’t want to come home. We did a survey, those who wanted to come home were few.”

“We are talking about 162 students in Wuhan and the Ambassador [to China] was in touch with them every other day. We had information about the situation they were in and the number of those who really wanted to come back home. We also assessed whether the systems and protection that they were getting there [in China] was adequate, if it was inadequate, we would have brought them,” he further noted.

He added that the students were getting better care in China than they would if they return to Ghana now.

“It is not the best practice as far as public health is concerned and WHO has even advised against such evacuations…Our position was that, because they were getting good care and support, we felt that there was no point in bringing them but we continue to watch the situation and as you can see the numbers are coming down in China,” he said.

“Even if you get the disease, you are probably better off in China because they have experience managing that kind of condition.”

The parents of some students, as well as various individuals, have been calling for the evacuation of the students as China keeps recording more cases of coronavirus as well as more deaths.

The government announced in February that it was not ready to evacuate the students.