The Ghana Coalition of NGO’s in Health is advocating for a partial lockdown of major towns in the Eastern Region now to prevent and curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic in the region.
41 COVID-19 cases have so far been recorded in the Eastern Region.
The Eastern Regional Minister Eric Kwakye Darfour in a Citi News interview indicated that the Regional Security Council was yet to take a decision on a possible lockdown of the region.
Addressing the press in Koforidua today, Tuesday, the Eastern Regional Chairman of Ghana Coalition of NGO’s in Health, Emmanuel Kwafo Mintah said it has become necessary to partially lock down major towns close to where cases have been recorded to prevent community spread of the virus.
“We advocate for the partial lockdown of major towns in the Eastern Region, provision of adequate PPE to all hospitals and clinics in the region and training conducted for the health workers, education and sensitization should be intensified in the communities and we entreat the region to immediately equip an isolation centre for the region so that we prevent the spread of the pandemic.”
The coalition which also touched on a number of challenges identified during their community monitoring called on government to intensify education of the public on the need to stop stigmatizing persons infected with COVID-19.
“High stigmatization against the COVID-19 and health workers is very high in most communities. As a result of that people will shy away from testing for the virus even if they have come into contact with persons who have tested positive. So we entreat government to intensify education and sensitization in the communities so that people will understand what exactly it is about and not make fun of people who have it.”
A total of 566 novel coronavirus caseshave so far been recorded in Ghana with eight deaths and 17 recoveries.
The Greater Accra Region has the most cases with 452; the Ashanti Region, 49; Eastern Region, 32; Northern Region, 10; Volta Region, nine; Upper West Region, seven; Upper East Region, four; North East Region, one; Western Region, one and the Central Region with one.
SOURCE: citinewsroom.com
