Sunyani, April 03, GNA – The Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Health (GCNH) has called for what it describes as ‘progressive’ nationwide lockdown, as the country’s confirmed cases on the Corona Virus Disease surge.
Ghana has so far recorded 204 confirmed cases of the deadly pandemic with three deaths.
To stem the spread of virus disease to other regions, there is partial lockdown in parts of Greater Accra and Ashanti regions, the hardest hit areas of the disease.
But, addressing a news conference in Sunyani, the Coalition noted already the disease was spreading to other regions and there was the need for government to review and extend the lockdown to other affected regions.
“What we meant by progressive nationwide lockdown is for government to consider extending the lockdown to areas which are gradually confirming cases before unexpected and something worse happened,” said Dr Gabriel Gbiel Benarkuu, National Chairman of the Coalition.
The GCNH is an umbrella and coordinating body for the activities of all registered Non-Governmental and Civil Society Organisations working in the health sector in the country.
Dr Benarkuu indicated as a pandemic and contagious disease, the spread of the COVID-19 could be out of hand if the nation failed to take bold and decisive measures to manage it.
He however praised the government for the measures implemented so far, adding that more ought to be done to bring the situation under control.
Dr Benarkuu underscored the importance for the government to find ways of monitoring the nationwide distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to ensure particularly frontline health facilities and officials had enough to manage the COVID-19.
He added the need to strengthen the National Health Authority to provide psycho-therapeutic and anti-stigma, discrimination services.
“Private health care providers must be mainstreamed in the general fight and control of the COVID-19 in the country”, Dr Benarkuu stated.
GNA