Coronavirus: Zoomlion appeals to school heads to be present for disinfection exercise

Waste management company, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, which is leading the nationwide disinfection against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in educational institutions, has appealed to heads of basic schools to make themselves available for the exercise.

The Western Regional Manager, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Alhaji Abdulai, Abdallah, made the appeal during at the Queen of Peace Academy, which was among a cluster of schools disinfected in Anaj community in the Effia Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly (EKMA) in the Western Region.

The schools included St Peter’s International School, Anaji MA Primary School etc.

He made the appeal against the backdrop that some of the schools they hand been mandated to disinfect had had their classrooms and offices under lock and key.

That, he said, was not helping their cause.

“If the headmasters and headmistresses can’t be present for the exercise, they should elect people to be there to open the offices and classrooms of their schools to facilitate our work,” he appealed.

According to Alhaji Abdallah, they were expected to disinfect about 1,808 basic schools (both public and private).

He, however, said this number could swell after the completion of the exercise.

“We are using one week to disinfect the schools, and so far, I can say that we are doing a good job. And one significant thing about the exercise is that we are combining cleaning and disinfecting at the same time,” he noted.

He pointed out that Zoomlion had already started the disinfection exercise in the senior high schools (SHSs) in the region.

And to beat the deadline, the Zoomlion western regional manager disclosed that they have sublet some of the schools to their partners, but stressed that these companies were under their close supervision.”

On the chemical for the disinfection, he contended that Zoomlion was using chlorine solution which has been recommended by World Health Organisation (WHO) as very potent in killing germs, bacteria and viruses.

However, he explained that the disinfection was not the only panacea for dealing with the Covid-19 disease.

“We must equally follow and observe all the Covid-19 preventive protocols including regular washing of hands with soap and under a running water, using alcohol-based hand sanitisers, wearing of nose masks and ensuring social distancing,” he recommended.

The Headmistress of Queen of Peace Academy, Naa Afarley Sackeyfio Wuni, was delighted at the exercise.

“We are grateful to the government and Zoomlion for coming to disinfect our school,” she happily expressed.

“We will complement the disinfection of our school by providing the pupils with Veronica buckets, soaps, hand sanitisers and also ensure that the pupils practice social/physical distance,” she affirmed.

According to her, the school was expecting about eighty-five (85) final-year students, who would be in four groups.

Zoomlion also disinfected a cluster of schools in Sekondi. These were Chief Ibrahim Basic School, St Peter’s Anglican Basic School, St Andrews Anglican Primary School, and Old Hospital Basic School.