The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has described the government’s policy in containing the coronavirus (COVID-19) as a failed strategy and called for an immediate revision to avert further spread of the disease.
Speaking at the 7th edition of the party’s weekly press briefing yesterday in Accra, the National Communication Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi said that, the current situation in the country depicts that, Ghana has lost the battle against the COVID-19.
“As it is now, the centre can no longer hold, things appear to have fallen apart,” he stated.
According to Gyamfi, the country’s case load, which stood at 24,518 confirmed cases, with 20,187 recoveries, 4,192 active and 139 deaths was having a burden on the country’s health system and required critical evaluation and leadership.
“Our astronomically high and ever-increasing positive case count is putting huge pressure on the already-constrained health system of the country,” he said.
“Clearly, our national response plan and strategy have failed, and we need to restrategise and take some remedial actions to salvage our failing fight, as a matter of urgency,” he emphasised.
Due to this, the party has among other things, asked for the urgent closure of all reopened Senior High Schools (SHSs), establishment of more isolation centres, payment of contact tracers and also intensify public awareness and education.
Mr Gyamfi further asked government to provide the required type of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to health personnel and also review the recovery and discharge policy.
More so, the NDC has requested government to provide explanation into the expenses of the National COVID-19 funds.
“There is the need for a special and forensic audit into all already expended COVID-19 funds, as a matter of urgency, Mr Gyamfi said.
Explaining the rationale for their calls, the National Communication Officer of the NDC said that, the re-opening of SHSs across the country and non-adherence to safety protocols by some Ghanaians, especially top officials of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) are evidence of the country’s failed fight against the COVID-19.
He accused government of using the re-opening of SHSs as a breeding grounds for political campaigns by the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“The schools have become centres for political campaigns by the NPP, as was seen over the weekend, when the National Youth Organiser of the NPP, Henry Nana Boakye led a team to campaign in some SHSs in the Ashanti Region, Mr Gyamfi argued.
He further stated that, the failure by government to adopt community-led approach, inadequate isolation centres and provisions of PPE, inadequate health personnel, as well as the exclusion of some health workers as frontliners were all testaments of the country’s failure in dealing with the COVID-19.
In addition, he said that, the non-payment of contact tracers, and review of recovery and discharge policy were confirmation of the government’s let-down in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The country’s largest opposition party also said that, the increasing rate of closure of state-owned institutions also was a demonstration that the country was losing the COVID-19 battle.
“The rising phenomenon of shutdown of key state institutions such as, Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST), Ministry of Finance, the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Education and the National Health Insurance Authority among several others, further accentuate the alarming rate of community spread of the novel coronavirus in the country and terrifying situation we presently find ourselves in,” he lamented.
BY FRANCIS NTOW