Coronavirus: Govt’s preparedness very porous – Akandoh

The Ranking member of the Health Committee of parliament has described government’s preparation towards fighting COVID-19 as very porous.

Kwabena Mintah Akandoh noted that although government has on several occasions touted its preparedness to curb the pandemic, it was not enough.

“From day one, we have always said government’s attitude towards coronavirus has been lackadaisical. After the announcement was made, a lot of questions have been raised. I have been giving a lot examples that our preparedness is very porous.”

He reiterated that sensitization of Ghanaians on the dangers of the virus and precautionary measures were very poor.

“…And up to this time, we cannot boast of a single means of communicating to the masses or sensitizing the people about this virus. For the past two months we’ve been sitting on this and nothing of this nature has been done,” he told the media.

The health committee member’s outcry comes on the back of the two confirmed coronavirus cases in the Country. The persons are a Norwegian and Ghanaian coming from Norway and Turkey respectively.

He further raised some conspiracy theories linking the two confirmed cases a day after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s issued a directive to the finance minister to release a $100 million fund as part of government’s readiness to deal with the pandemic.

Akufo-Addo in the address said, the monies will be used to “expand infrastructure, buy materials and equipment, and public education.”

But Akandoh argued that not much information has been given about the two infected persons, noting that Ghanaians have not been told where they were coming from while seemingly implicating that the President was privy to the issue at hand.

“Is it the case that the President knew something that we didn’t know? The president has also come out to say that he has announced $100 million. The announcement of the money is very different from making the money available for people to access. Where is the money coming from? Why is it that the money has not come to Parliament for approval? If it is coming from Consolidated fund or donor Funds, we must know how much and the details of the expenditure, we must also know.” He indicated.

The Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has on the other hand, cautioned the minority not to make politics out of issues of the deadly coronavirus, but rather join forces with the government to fight the pandemic which knows no political colours.

“Let me caution that this is not a matter that we should turned into a regular political banter that the Minority says it’s not good, the government says it is good. This is a potential national crisis that we have to rally behind the flag and fight together,” he said.