Kwaku Agyeman-Manu
Parliamentarians have made an urgent call on the government to set aside a contingency fund to tackle any possible outbreak of the deadly disease, coronavirus, in the country since neighbouring Cote d’Ivoire has recorded a case of the virus which first broke in China.
They have asked the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu to also come and brief the house on what measures the ministry is putting in place to avoid a possible outbreak in the country, or how it could be contained quickly in case of an outbreak.
The MPs made the call yesterday when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Nabdam, Dr Mark Kurt Nawaame, made a statement on the outbreak of the deadly disease and the possibility of its rapid spread in African countries and measures to prevent the disease from entering into the country.
Dr Nawaame said so far the Chinese city of Wuhan which was the epicenter of the disease had recorded 132 deaths with 6,000 cases detected mainly in China and 21 countries in Asia, America, Europe and Africa.
He noted that the disease was contracted by shaking hands with an infected person, coming into contact with infected persons and breathing in affected and concentrated areas since the disease was also airborne.
The NDC MP for Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak said the health authorities needed to intensify public education on the causes of the disease and how to prevent it in all border towns across the country and also in the major towns and cities of the country.
He said even though he had seen efforts by health authorities to screen people arriving at the Kotoka International Airport, the screening should be replicated at all entry points of the country.
The deputy majority leader and New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Dome/Kwabenya, Adwoa Safo said health authorities, as a matter of urgency, must increase surveillance along the Ghana-Cote d’Ivoire border since a lot of Ghanaians went to Cote d’Ivoire to trade and vice versa, in order to easily detect anyone who would be an agent of the disease.
She said the Ministry of Health must also ask passengers using domestic flights in the country to wear masks to protect themselves.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr