The Western Regional Health Director, Dr. Jacob Mahama, had denied knowledge of GHS300 per day, purportedly charged 13 quarantined Ghanaians who were evacuated from Ivory Coast to Takoradi on June 25.
The evacuees earlier told Citi News that their handlers started demanding $150 per day for staying at the Takoradi Beach Hotel but later gave them GHS300 invoices.
When Citi News contacted Dr. Mahama, he confirmed that they had quarantined the 13 Ghanaians from Ivory Coast at the Takoradi Beach Hotel but was not aware of the charges.
“Yes. We have about 13 of them there on quarantine. Not isolated. They are being watched for 14 days to make sure that they are not infected. That is what quarantine is about. I just called my Sekondi-Takoradi Metro Director of Health, Dr. Kofi Badu Sutherland, who told me they are there but who is charging them we are not aware. Because all our bills are supposed to be paid by the government and feeding cost is usually from the assembly so I don’t know whoever is charging. I will ask the Metro Director what is happening there because we don’t charge anybody.”
After several failed attempts to reach the Sekondi-Takoradi Metro Health Director, Dr. Kofi Badu Sutherland, the Western Regional Health Director called back to say it was the national security that brought them there.
“The national security says they are in charge, but the evacuees agreed initially that they would pay. Upon getting here, they are saying they are Ghanaians, so they wouldn’t pay, so it is being collected by the owner of the hotel which is GHs 300 per day and the National Security is in charge.”
The evacuees earlier told Citi News their samples had been taken without results for over seven days.
They also raised suspicion with the whole arrangement.