A former Communication Minister under the erstwhile John Mahama administration, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah has expressed surprise at government’s possible decision not to administer COVID-19 doses to the aged and persons with underlying health conditions.
This he says when implemented will be one of the major errors in the country’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a post addressed to the President, Dr. Omane maintained that persons with comorbidities continue to be at a huge risk of contracting the virus and their fore cannot fathom why health authorities intend to exclude them from the vaccination.
His concerns come after some media comments made by the Director-General of the Ghana Standards Authority, Dr. Alexander Dodoo.
“I was shocked to the marrow when I read Ghanaians with underlying health conditions and the aged will not be vaccinated against the novel Coronavirus, SARS-CoV2. Mr. President, are they not within the domain of prioritized people in the United States of America”, he wrote.
Dr. Omane Boamah who is also a medical doctor and a Health Policy Planning and Financing Analyst is demanding further explanation on the rationale behind the move.
“Why must mother Ghana deprive people with underlying medical conditions and the aged protection if there are no contraindications (i.e. medical reasons not to give the vaccine)? Respectfully, have we not heard time and again from you and other government officials that comorbidities contribute to COVID induced deaths? More questions than answers.”
He expressed worry over what he terms mistake already made in the country’s collective fight to deal decisively with the virus.
“We need to have the Vaccine Plan published in the interest of transparency and equity as we prepare to vaccinate Ghanaians against COVID-19”, Dr. Omane Boamah added.
Below is the full statement
GHANA, LET US AVOID ANY FURTHER ERRORS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19.
Good morning Mr. President,
Trust you are all doing very well. Over the past two weeks, I have been requesting Government to publish the Vaccine Plan without joy. Mr. President, this is a worrying sign.
It is worrying because citizens who qualify to have the vaccine may be selected against. It is also worrying because it deprives interested parties (doctors, nurses, pharmacists, public health and policy experts, journalists and Civil Society Organisations) the opportunity to make inputs, ask vital questions and institute monitoring and evaluation systems to guide the process if they wish to do so.
For example, I was shocked to the marrow when I read Ghanaians with “underlying health conditions and the aged” will not be vaccinated against the novel Coronavirus, SARS-CoV2.
Mr. President, are they not within the domain of prioritized people in the United States of America?
Why must mother Ghana deprive people with underlying medical conditions and the aged protection if there are no contraindications (i.e. medical reasons not to give the vaccine)?
Respectfully, have we not heard time and again from you and other government officials that comorbidities contribute to COVID induced deaths? More questions than answers.
I have respect for the knowledge of Dr. Doodoo who is said to have made this shocking statement. I hope he has been misrepresented. I hope this is not Government policy.
Already too many mistakes have been made in the collective fight against COVID-19. GHANA, LET US AVOID ANY FURTHER ERRORS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19.
Mr. President, these are the reasons we need to have the Vaccine Plan published in the interest of transparency and equity as we prepare to vaccinate Ghanaians against COVID-19.
Thank you.
Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah
Medical Doctor & Health Policy Planning and Financing Analyst
February 7, 2021
