The Former Medical Director of Ridge hospital, Dr. Thomas Anaba says, the NPP government rushed to reopen Basic and Second cycle institutions partially, without putting in place adequate measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus in the schools.
According to him, inadequate personal protective equipment in the schools coupled with few dormitories to accommodate students in some schools demonstrates government’s insensitivity at protecting students against COVID-19.
Speaking on Day Break Upper East, Dr. Anaba said, the spread of COVID-19 among 68 students in some senior high schools was avoidable if government had ensured sufficient medical essentials in the schools.
“If you visit some of these senior high schools especially in the remote areas, they are overcrowded in their dormitories. You can imagine how it is to be a student; they do not observe social distancing protocols, no nose mask wearing.
Some of the schools still have not received any PPE from the government. The government is doing little to protect these students. In fact, it is not too late but will be, if the government continues to pay lip services to protect these innocent children in their various schools”.
Dr. Anaba, admonished government to shut down all senior high schools due to the outbreak of COVID-19 among students, adding that, government should self-isolate infected students before sending them home.
“I am not saying that if the students go back to their homes, they will not still be at risk of the virus. But that will be at a lesser risk than them being in the schools.
So, if the government is a listening one and thinks that, the lives of its citizens and that of the students’ are paramount, it needs to do the right thing by ensuring that, it provides the needed medical essentials to the schools and the release students in batches to go home. Other countries are doing it, why can’t Ghana do the same?. We are in a time bomb and if care is not taking, innocent lives will be lost completely through the virus”.
Dr. Anaba observed that, government was paying lip service to health workers safety against COVID-19 and appealed for more PPE at health facilities particularly in the rural areas.
“I am a human being and fear to die, these people who come with terrible conditions breaks my heart. And if the government does not up its game, more lives will be lost.
I look at we, the health workers, we are more prone to the virus yet the government is doing little to protect us. Some of the health facilities especially in the rural areas do not have enough PPE yet records cases of COVID-19”.
Source:|A1radioonline.com|101.1MHZ|Moses Apiah|Ghana
