Spread of Coronavirus: Dr Omane Boamah Asks Akufo-Addo to Show Leadership

Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah

Accra, Ghana, February 28, 2020//-Former Minister for Communications & Presidential Spokesperson, Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah has asked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to show leadership in the face of the spread of the coronavirus disease in China and other parts of the world.

 Although, Ghana is yet to report any case of the disease, Dr Omane Boamah who is a medical doctor is not happy with the country’s level of preparedness towards the disease.

He (Mr Akufo-Addo) must show leadership, commit reasonable funds, provide Personal protective equipments (PPEs), assure frontline health workers and begin to deepen international cooperation, the former minister said.

Dr Omane Boamah also aksed the Mr Akufo-Addo and his government to take a serious look at the threat of Coronavirus disease posed to Ghanaians.

Meanwhile the World Health Organisation (WHO) shared the sentiments expressed by Dr Omane Boamah in the organisation’s latest statement.

It said:  “Ghana assessed its capacities to respond to any suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 and identified gaps to plan for preparedness, response and control activities”.

Ghana is classified among Priority 1 countries in WHO Africa region for at being at risk based on flights and passenger volumes, according the WHO report.

But there is inadequate funding to implement the various preparedness activities planned by the Government of Ghana, the statement added.

Already, the Government of Ghana has committed 2.5 million Ghana Cedis to support preparedness, but an additional funding is required to meet the funding gap for prioritised activities, the WHO report said.

So far, 15 suspected cases have been tested for coronavirus in Ghana with all 15 testing negative.

Nigeria today announced the first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus in sub-Saharan Africa.

“The case is an Italian citizen who works in Nigeria and returned from Milan, Italy to Lagos, Nigeria on the 25th of February 2020,” Health Minister Osagie Ehanire said in a statement.

The Virology Laboratory of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, part of the Laboratory Network of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed this according to Dr Ehanire.

The Italian (whose name has been withheld) is said to be “clinically stable, with no serious symptoms, and is being managed at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, Lagos.”

Several European countries have announced their first coronavirus cases, all apparently linked to the growing outbreak in Italy.

According to media reports, Austria, Croatia, Greece and Switzerland said the cases involved people who had been to Italy, as did Algeria in North Africa.

African Eye Report

 

 

 

 

 

 

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