LOGISTICS FOR COMBATING COVID-19 DISTRIBUTED IN UE 23rd March, 2020

All the 15 Municipal and District Assemblies in the Upper East Region are to receive an average of 10 “Veronica Buckets” each including 10 pieces of jumbo disposable tissues, several boxes of hand sanitizers containing about 100 pieces and several quantities of liquid soap. Also, some 40 outdoor plastic waste bins formed part of the package as all of these are to be distributed among major markets in the districts upon receipt.

 

Hon. Tangoba [RM for Upper East] making her statement

Upper East Regional Minister, Hon. Tangoba Abayage who disclosed this at a limited stakeholders’ gathering at the Residency on Monday morning, said the distribution of the logistics formed part of efforts by government to conscientise citizens and the public about ways to keep safe as well as help to limit or contain the possible spread of the novel coronavirus otherwise known as COVID-19. She added that, the four assemblies present at the meeting including the Bulisa South district, the Kassena-Nankana, the Bawku and Bolgatanga Municipalities were to get 20 pieces each of the jumbo tissues.

She revealed that the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development [MLGRD] and the Office of the Administrator of the Common Fund in collaboration with partners such as Zoom Lion Ghana Ltd. and a Bolgatanga-based entrepreneur - Welaga Group of Companies, made the presentation possible.

The Minister acknowledged that though the package was not an exhaustive one as far as the fight against the pandemic was concerned, it marked a very important first-step that the local authorities could take whilst awaiting additional and a more robust injection of support. She observed that the trends across the world regarding the spread of COVID-19 forewarns Ghana as a developing country that, “if pragmatic actions were not taken immediately, then the country would be heading for trouble”.

The Items Lined Up for Distribution

Hon. Tangoba assured that public that the President as he has exhibited already, would continue to consult the country’s health authorities and other critical stakeholders to institute measures and deploy actions that would cause a curtailment of the virus among the populace. This for instance, has been shown in the closure of all schools and now, the markets for fumigation among other decisions. She encouraged the public to practice regular hand washing with soap under clean running water and also, observe the “social distancing” rule as that to a great extent, prevents person-to-person transmission of the virus.

Indeed, it is worthy of mention that, the “social distancing” rule was observed at the function as the seating arrangement was in linear form in open-air space within the Residency and with an interval of a seat between participants who included the regional health director and his selected staff, market leaders from selected districts, MDCEs from the four districts named earlier and zoom lion staff among others.

The Upper Regional Director of Health Services Dr. Winfred Ofosu in his remarks noted that, COVID-19 is changing everything globally today including “our social life, economic life and everything and we have to do everything within our means to stop it; it is not beyond human control because at least the reports that we get from China today show a slowdown of transmission and even, they are not getting new cases”. 

Participants seated far apart

Dr. Ofosu therefore entreated all and sundry including the authorities to strictly adhere to the tested principles of those countries that have made considerable gains in efforts against the pandemic. He said COVID-19 normally presents signs [symptoms] such as tiredness or general body weakness, dry cough, fever which are the very obvious while other persons may additionally show sore throat, nasal discharge, nasal congestion, breathlessness and diarrhea. He added that when complications kick in, kidney issues can also get involved which could then lead to death.

According to the health director, unnecessary mingling at this time is a catalyst for transmission as there has been evidence of local transmission within Ghana aside the reported imported cases that came in with travelers from affected countries. He thus warned people to stay home if they really have nothing very important or urgent to do outside as the worst case was that, people could possibly be carrying the virus without any show of symptoms. He noted that a sneeze or a cough from any infected person less than a metre posed a very high risk of contraction while a contaminated surface such as door hands and other objects also presented fertile grounds for a spread of the virus.   

The Health Director appealed to people to be vigilant and to report any suspected cases to the nearest health authorities for appropriate actions such as quarantine, testing of blood samples, containment and case management to be carried out. He also urged facilities to encourage relatives with travel histories from pandemic countries to subject themselves for testing so as not to multiply the infection.