Government through the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has launched a nationwide disinfection exercise in partnership with Zoomlion Ghana Limited, at the Golden Jubilee Park in Kumasi.
The project forms part of government’s efforts in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic, which has been on exponential increase in the last couple of months since it was first recorded in the country. As the strategic partner in this exercise, Zoomlion Ghana Limited has deployed disinfection trucks, drones and other equipment to facilitate ongoing work in the country’s various regions.
The Kumasi exercise began on Monday and was preceded by an intensive cleaning exercise in at least 186 markets of the regional capital. According to the city’s Mayor, Assibey-Antwi, the municipal assembly has been relentless in its efforts to ensure a safe gathering space for residents of the region. He also noted that the municipal assembly has been in continuous dialogue with residents and market women to ensure the disinfection exercise produces best results in safeguarding the health of all market users.
According to him, the first phase of the disinfection exercise – which included an intensive cleaning exercise in all the markets in the region, produced more waste than nominal records per the regions’ waste generation capacity. This, according to him, shows how committed and prepared the municipality is in ensuring that the region plays its part in the fight against spread of the virus.
He also revealed that government has distributed personal safety equipment to various schools, hospitals and public offices across the region. According to him, Veronica buckets, soap, masks, gloves, hand sanitisers and tissue-paper have been distributed to all schools and public gathering centres in the region. In addition, he also revealed that government has procured extra Personal Protective equipment in the tune of US$58million to assist various private and public medical centres in the region.
The regional minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, in an encounter with the media revealed that the disinfection exercise is part of governments strategic and aggressive efforts for fighting spread of the virus in the country’s various regions. He indicated government’s commitment in safeguarding the people’s lives by making sure all public spaces are safe; especially markets, where food and other important daily consumables are sold.
He also commended governments efforts in managing spread of the virus since its discovery in the region. He noted that local authorities have been relentless in their own efforts at addressing various challenges brought on as a result of the pandemic. Government’s support through the MLGRD has therefore come to complement the work of local authorities. He also appealed to traders in various markets to assist the team by following the various directives laid out to ensure a successful exercise.
Speaking on the work of Zoomlion in the region, the minister expressed his satisfaction with the company’s preparedness as he took the opportunity to inspect and assess various equipment assembled for the exercise.
He said he is positive that the exercise will be successful and greatly help reduce spread of the virus in the region. He took the opportunity to appeal for all market women and leaders to help ensure a successful exercise.
As one of the hot-spots for coronavirus infection after the country’s capital, the intensified disinfection of public spaces, schools and markets is aimed at lowering spread and number of new infections in the region. The exercise is also aimed at lowering the risk of other infections that are airborne in these ‘abnormal times’.
The disinfection exercise at the various markets began at exactly 9am in all 25 municipalities across the Ashanti Region. Drones, disinfection guns and heavy fumigation equipment were deployed in a total of 186 markets across the 25 municipalities of the region. The exercise lasted 4-hours, and is expected to continue on Wednesday 22 July 2020 in the remaining designated markets.
Background
The ministry of local government and Rural Development in partnership with Zoomlion Ghana limited began a nationwide disinfection exercise in schools, markets, churches and all public spaces across all regions in the country, following the World Health Organisation’s acknowledgment that airborne transmission of the coronavirus may occur.
In line with continued measures to halt spread of the virus, Ghana’s government has taken the initiative to disinfect all public spaces and properties around the country. The first phase of the exercise began in the disease’s early stages – which included selected public properties including airports, public universities and some markets.
The general manager of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Mr Philip Yeboah Asante, assured journalists of Zoomlion’s continuous commitment in the fight against the virus by any means possible. He said the company is committed to making all public gathering spaces safe through the exercise, and called for more support from the public, media, and government in achieving this collectively.
Ghana’s coronavirus case count currently stands at 28,989 with 3,505 active cases.
