Dissolve COVID-19 Technical Advisory Team - Minority asks government

The Minority in Parliament says government should dissolve the COVID-19 Technical Advisory Team formed in 2020 and recompose a new team that is multidisciplinary, non-partisan and competent enough to direct the management of the virus in the country.

Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the immediate past ranking member on Parliament’s health committee, said at a press conference on Tuesday that President Nana Akufo-Addo and his technical team of advisors have not demonstrated enough competence in handling the pandemic, “contrary to all they have been trumpeting”.

He said rates of infection are increasing, technical guidelines on prevention and management are not being enforced, and contact tracing has been abandoned.

As at February 8, Ghana’s confirmed COVID-19 cases stood at 71,533, with an active case count of 6,411 and 472 deaths recorded. Mr. Akandoh said about 137, or 29 percent, of the deaths occurred only this year.

“The trend of infections and deaths is worrying, and if nothing is done immediately to arrest the situation, our outturn with Covid would be a complete disaster.”

Mr. Akandoh alleged that “in spite of the urgent need for contact tracing, it is currently at its barest minimum, with government not willing to engage contact tracers after suspending their services in April of last year.”

He further claimed that government has reneged on its promise to pay some frontline healthcare professionals their 50 percent allowances and also reneged on providing insurance packages for those who get infected or die in the line of duty.

He called for increased routine surveillance and more contact tracing before the situation gets out of hand. He further urged the government to release enough funds to the Regional and District Health Teams to enhance contact tracing and case testing, and to pay all the monies promised health workers.

Government should expand management facilities and build capacity to handle the many severe cases that are likely to be confirmed, he added, while schools should be adequately resourced and supported to make their environments safe from COVID-19.

He also advised that the media be considered by the government and given enough financial and other resources to carry out public education on COVID-19.