In the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak in Ghana, some individuals (citizens and non-citizens alike) who tested positive for the coronavirus have managed to flee quarantine. Some have been arrested and placed back under quarantine whilst others are still in the wind.
Regardless of the many assurances and education given to Ghanaians, many still fear to be kept under quarantine for various reasons including stigmatization.
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The President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo has been accused of being responsible for the increasing number of patients fleeing from quarantine facilities.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Kumbungu Constituency, Ras Mubarak laid this blame on the the President.
In an interview on Happy98.9FM’s ‘Epa Hoa Daben’ the MP said, “The President should have quarantined himself upon his return from his Europe tour. It would’ve been a show of leadership and solidarity. COVID-19 positives would’ve stayed in quarantine because the President did so and we wouldn’t have the problems we are facing now”.
According to Ras Mubarak, he only got insulted when he made that recommendation and that is why there is this problem at hand.
“I fault the President and his handlers for causing this problem of people escaping from testing centers”, he reiterated.
He went on to tell host, Doctar Cann that the media should keep on educating Ghanaians that contracting the virus does not mean the end of life as they know it”. People who test positive should be made to understand that the virus is treatable”, he said.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, left Ghana on Friday, February 21, 2020, for a 12-day working visit to Scotland, Norway, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Belgium.
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By the President’s return to the country, the virus had already increased exponentially in China and had also reached other parts of the world.
Out of fear of the possibility of the President and his entourage having contracted the virus, some politicians called on him to go under quarantine and testing but the former never happened.
By: Joel Sanco