Accra, Feb. 19, GNA – Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on Wednesday had discussion with Executives of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) on the outbreak of the COVID-19 in China.
The minister also updated the students’ body on the safety of Ghanaian students, resident in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra said.
The statement said since the outbreak of the COVID-19, the Government had attached great importance to safeguarding the health, safety and wellbeing of Ghanaian nationals living in China, particularly, the 151 students who had unfortunately been caught up in the lockdown of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak.
It said the Minister, who briefed the students’ body on some measures the Government, through the Ministry and the Ghana Embassy in China, had taken to ease the plight of Ghanaian students in Wuhan and China at large.
It noted that the Mission holds regular meetings (every 48hrs) with the student leadership to respond to concerns raised by students for possible redress.
It said the Ministry had also held meetings with the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana and had received assurances from the Ambassador that the Central and Provincial Governments of China as well as authorities of the Universities in Wuhan would continue to step up efforts to ensure that the concerns of Ghanaian students in Wuhan were addressed in an expeditious manner.
The statement said the Ministry had granted approval for the Ghana Mission in Beijing to expend an amount of ¥100,000 ($14,286) to cater for emergency needs, such as provision of nose masks, hand sanitizers and food items, especially for Ghanaians in Wuhan and its environs.
According to the statement, additional amounts of $50,000.00 and $200,000.00 had been transferred separately to the Mission in Beijing to cater for the emergency needs of the students.
The statement said the Mission was working with the student leadership in Wuhan to collate the names and bank details of beneficiary students.
It said the accounts of students were expected to be credited by Thursday, February 20th.
The statement said the Ministry had also dispatched cartons of assorted Ghanaian food items to the Mission in Beijing for onward delivery to the students in Wuhan.
On evacuation of the students from Wuhan, the statement said the Minister acknowledged the general apprehension among parents in Ghana, whose children were in Wuhan as well as among a section of the Ghanaian community, mainly students in Wuhan and sympathised with the difficult situation faced by the students who had unfortunately been caught up in the lockdown of Wuhan.
According to the statement, the Minister assured NUGS of the importance Government attaches to safeguarding the health, safety and wellbeing of Ghanaian nationals in China, particularly those in Wuhan.
The statement said a National Technical Coordination Committee, with experts from various health and security agencies, including Ministry of Health (MOH), Ghana Health Service, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and security agencies, had been formed.
The statement said it has the mandate to assess the country’s state of preparedness and was advising Government on how to handle a possible outbreak of the virus.
The experts on the National Technical Coordination Committee who were keenly monitoring the situation had advised that evacuation of Ghanaian students would be undertaken only as a measure of last resort.
According to the statement, the Minister commended NUGS for sharing their thoughts and grievances on the matter and reiterating the Government’s commitment to safeguarding the health, safety and wellbeing of Ghanaian nationals in China, particularly the 151 students who have unfortunately been caught up in the lockdown of Wuhan.
GNA