General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has called on President Akufo-Addo to direct security services to be more stringent in the enforcement of the lockdown protocols.

According to Dr Justice Yankson, the lenient approach to the implementation being exercised by the agencies, has fueled a seeming disregard on the part of the sections of the public.

President Akufo-Addo on March 27, announced that movements in some urban areas in the country will be restricted as part of government measures to control the spread of the coronavirus. The lockdown affects areas in Accra, Kasoa, Tema and Kumasi, where significant numbers of infections have been recorded.

A joint security taskforce has been deployed to enforce the directive. The security personnel have been advised to put a human face to the exercise and reduce the level of force applied throughout the period.

The GMA General Secretary commended the President for the measures taken so far with regard to the novel coronavirus fight.

But Dr Yankson, who is alarmed by the number of people roaming the epicenter amid community spread, wants the security services to crack the whip to help prevent the spread of the virus.

“I also urge the security agencies who are enforcing some of these rules to be a bit firm and ensure that as much as possible, people stay home so that we can break the chain of transmission and contain the disease."

He urged the President to “direct the security agencies to be very firm on the ground… Some people are just not obeying the rules and I think it’s about time we cracked the whip properly.

While advising Ghanaians to comply with the lockdown directives, the GMA General Secretary also called on local authorities to help in enforcement to the latter because, “the President alone cannot fight it from the top.

“I will call on all local authorities that whatever they can do within their jurisdiction to ensure that people are safe, the people don’t congregate, that people obey the rules, they should do it,” Dr Yankson said.

All stakeholders are also encouraged to join in improving sensitisation in their respective communities, the medical practitioner added.

Ghana’s coronavirus case count stands at 378 as of Friday, April 10, 2020.