The General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) says the country's leadership has poorly enforced adherence to the Covid-19 protocols.

Dr Justice Yankson made the comment in relation to what he called the beginning of the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic that has hit the country.

Speaking to Samson Lardi Anyenini on Newsfile, Saturday, he noted that government's failure to walk the talk when it comes to fighting the pandemic has resulted in the total disregard for the protocols by members of the general public.

“The protocols are our best bet and at the state level, the enforcement is not happening because leadership is not setting any good examples for us. If we identify funerals as a key problem, they are still talking about how to find ways of managing funerals," he stated.

The government this year received backlash from the populace and members of the Minority in Parliament for failing to adhere to the laid down protocols during some events.

This was after the President, his Vice, Dr Mahamudu Buwumia and the Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah attended the funeral ceremony of the late General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie, aka Sir John.

The event saw several Covid-19 protocols being breached. Hundreds of people had gathered at the grounds with many, not in facemasks and total disregard for social distancing.

The said ceremony breached the Imposition of Restrictions Act, 2020 (Act 1012), which prohibits mass gathering amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr Yankson insists that while the best is being done by health personnel nationwide to prevent further Covid-19 deaths, government has failed to fulfil its end of the bargain.

“The state must show leadership at this point. As for the health professionals, we will do our best but some of the activities actually go beyond us in terms of what has to be done," he said.

On the matter of a third wave, Dr Yankson admonished the citizenry to embrace the fact that the country has already been hit.

Stating that "I might not be clothed with the powers to pronounce the third wave but the truth is that we are in a third wave. I think we should not kid ourselves that maybe it's about coming in. It is here. We haven't reached the peak but the wave has started."

He also bemoaned that the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in various health institutions are getting choked with the country seeing a surge in cases.

“We stop counting the deaths because we know it will happen. People are dying in transit. If you go to Korle-Bu not long ago the clinics were not seeing cases but now we are struggling to find ICU places for cases. If you go to the Police Hospital the ICU is full and nearly choked. If you go to Ridge the same. If you go to Ashanti Region the same," he stressed.