The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has committed to supporting President Akufo-Addo’s latest directive to lift the lockdown in Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Kumasi.
This comes on the back of an invitation by the President to consult the Association on the reasons behind his decision.
President Akufo-Addo during his Sunday night address, cited available data and science as the premise for arriving at a reversal of the three-week lockdown, contrary to calls by some experts including the GMA, for more stringent measures as the number Covid-19 cases grew.
The association had, on April 4, 2020, expressed concern that a two-week lockdown was inadequate in preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
In the subsequent one-week extension of the lockdown, the GMA had also recommended an additional week if the optimal result is to be achieved.
But following deliberations with the President on Monday, the Deputy General Secretary of GMA, Dr Titus Beyuo says, government’s call is in the interest of Ghanaians and pledged his outfit’s support for the directive.
“Whatever decision the President makes, we have made a vow or pledged to support it the interest of the health of Ghanaians. We do not see any point in having varying opinions. The critical thing is to get to the job and see how best we can deal with the situation,” he said on Top Story on Joy FM Monday.
The GMA deputy General Secretary told Evans Mensah that, the association’s earlier stance was based purely on possible internal migrations and the capacity of the country’s existing health infrastructure to deal with a possible surge in the number of cases.
He explained, government’s decision encapsulated concern about the impact on various facets of the economy, despite the GMA’s stance on the health perspective.
“We have analysed this in the medical realm, he looked at it in the economic realm. We have not looked at what the benefits are, having a partial lockdown,” he said.
Dr Beyuo further explained that, “strictly in the medical realm, I think it’s not lost on the President that the call we’ve been making all this while, would have been right but then it comes at a certain cost to the economy, social and structure.
“But the thing is, does the medical reasons overweigh all the others? That decision or judgment we cannot make,” he said.
Meanwhile, the GMA has also reiterated the need for personal protective equipment (PPEs) at the health facilities across the country, to prevent its member from contracting the virus in their line of duty.
This call, according to Dr Beyuo, was made during the meeting with the President earlier today.
Ghana has currently recorded 1,042 Covid-19 cases with 9 deaths and 99 recoveries.
Latest Stories
-
Spanish prosecutors ask judge to scrap case against PM Pedro Sánchez’s wife
6 seconds -
Kwabena Fori releases ‘Let Me Go’ ahead of ‘Tuesday’ EP
2 mins -
Story of a survivor championing patient-led approach to dealing with NCDs in Ghana
13 mins -
Haiti’s PM Ariel Henry resigns as transitional council is sworn in
35 mins -
Unforgettable stories from Primary School English text books
35 mins -
Jodie Comer to star in 28 Days Later sequel
44 mins -
CAFCC: GH₵36k for Baba Yara Stadium usage was for GFA, not Dreams FC – NSA clarifies
50 mins -
‘Lost’ Gustav Klimt painting sells for €30m
50 mins -
CAFCC: Zamalek arrive in Kumasi ahead of second leg against Dreams FC
54 mins -
Megan Thee Stallion: Cameraman accuses rapper of ‘hostile’ workplace
55 mins -
I would rather invest GH₵50,000 in my soul than go for body enhancement – Celestine Donkor
1 hour -
MFWA presses for transparency as it requests KPMG report on GRA-SML contract through RTI
1 hour -
Four interdicted headteachers transferred after GES probe
1 hour -
Plastic Pollution: UN leads negotiations for international legally binding instrument to regulate usage
1 hour -
UKGCC to tour Golden Exotics on May 2, 2024 as part of World Press Freedom Day
2 hours