Former President John Dramani Mahama has said that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has submitted a proposal of a national action plan on combating the novel coronavirus to the Speaker of Parliament.
Speaking at a Service to end the three days of prayer and fasting declared by the NDC, the former President indicated that as evidence of their commitment to assisting government in the fight against the pandemic, a technical team has been put together to spearhead the affairs of the national action plan.
“I have also already announced that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is committed to assisting government in this fight by availing all technical and logistical resources at our disposal. As evidence of our seriousness in that respect, we have assembled a technical team to guide our efforts and to lead the NDC’s response to the evolving situation. The team is an assembly of experts from the many fields that will be required to implement a national action plan on COVID-19”.
“We have through our Minority Leader Honourable Haruna Iddrisu presented to the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament what are the major points of our proposals and steps that may be taken to curb the spread of this plague and reinforce the readiness of our healthcare system, and to save as many lives as possible.”
Ex-President John Mahama has over the past week taken to social media to educate the public on some preventive measures to take in order to prevent the spread of the virus.
The former President also indicated that “the immediate focus of the proposal is on the appropriate planning for a range of potential measures, including at the extreme a lockdown, should that become necessary as the realities of our present condition become clearer. Such a decision would impact the livelihoods and financial security of many of the most economically vulnerable people in this country and jeopardize the survival of many businesses. We will seek to propose a series of social interventions to address these unprecedented risks, and to ensure that loss of income does not become a barrier to the effective implementation of preventive measures”.
Members of NDC’s COVID-19 response team
1. Nana Kofi Quakyi (Assistant Professor in Public Health/Specialist in Health Economics)
2. Dr. Vida Yarkong (PhD in Interdisciplinary Medicine)
3. Dr. Prosper Akanbong – Immediate Past CEO of Tamale Teaching Hospital and Physician Consultant
4. Dr. Jehu Appiah: Senior Medical Consultant and former General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association
5. Prosper Bani – Former Minister of Interior and former Head of UNDP’s Crisis Prevention and Recovery Team for Africa
6. Dr. Zanetor Rawlings – Medical Doctor
7. Alex Segbefia – Former Minister of Health
8. Mintah Akandoh – Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Committee of Heath
9. Prof. Margaret Kweku – UHAS
10. Dr. Jonas Asamoah – Public Health Expert, Hawa Memorial Hospital, Osiem.
11. Mrs. Mawuena Trebarh – (Communications Specialist) NCB-HQ
Coronavirus cases in Ghana now 21
Ghana will from today, Sunday, March 22 close all its borders to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic as total number of confirmed cases recorded in the country hits 21.
The border closure is to last for two weeks according to President Nana Akufo-Addo and “will not apply to goods, supplies and cargo.”
“All our borders; by land, sea and air, will be closed to human traffic for the next two weeks beginning midnight on Sunday,” The President said during a national address on Saturday.
President Akufo-Addo said the government’s aim with all its measures are to “limit and stop the importation of the virus; contain its spread; provide adequate care for the sick; limit the impact of the virus on social and economic life and inspire the expansion of our domestic capability and deepen our self-reliance.”
Following restrictions from recently reviewed travel protocols, the only admissible travellers into Ghana were Ghanaians and foreign nationals with residence permits in Ghana.
But ahead of the closure, this category of travellers will be subject to a mandatory quarantine.