Vice President Bawumia has made one of the boldest commitments to care for lepers in the country.
He feels let down by the way and manner in which lots of Ghanaians, particularly families of people with disability or certain kinds of diseases, especially leprosy, treat them even after they are healed.
He has therefore made a passionate appeal to all Ghanaians to stop stigmatizing such people.
Instead, he asked that like any other human being, they should be showed love and accorded the needed dignity.
This was when he made a donation at the Weija Leprosarium in Accra on Christmas day where he presented the home with 100 bags of rice, 200 packs of assorted soft drinks, a bull and an amount of GH¢10, 000.
He had earlier made similar donations at the Osu Children’s Home and the Teshie Orphanage.
“It is at moments like these that we think about the purpose and the true meaning of these celebrations. It is about reflecting on those who are less fortunate than us. Those who feel very excluded…” he said moments before the presentation.
He considered it important to care for the less privileged and marginalised in society during festive seasons like Christmas when they seem to have been forgotten.
For close to five minutes, Dr Bawumia held the hands of an elderly woman who has been cured of leprosy to show Ghanaians that one cannot be infected by touching such people.
“There is no problem with touching them, embracing them or hugging them, they are cured lepers; there should be no stigma attached to them,” he stressed.
He expressed regret at the situation where family members neglect their relatives at the leprosarium and only seem to care when they are dead.
He announced, “Government will provide the continued care… I’ll offer myself today as patron of the Leprosy Society. We have to make sure they are well looked after.”
The Vice President has since offered to become a patron of the Weija Leprosarium to help raise awareness and support them.
With him were the Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Free Zones Board (GFZB), Michael Kofi Okyere Baafi and the Board Chairman for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Lawyer Frank Davis.
At the Teshie Orphanage, they were joined by the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Ledzokuku, Dr Oko Boye and District Police Commander, Superintendent Peter Yembilla.
The Vice President also made a commitment help settle the electricity bills of the Osu Orphanage.
He indicated that government would not renege on its support to the leprosy society to enhance their welfare, but called for concerted efforts from all.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent