The Upper West Regional Minister, Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih has expressed worry about inadequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to public health facilities in the region to fight the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
“The PPE that are being supplied will never be adequate because they are used and disposed off. They need to be replenished every now and then. I am therefore making appeals to all philanthropists to come to the region’s aid with PPE,” Dr. Bin Salih said.
He was speaking at a news conference in Wa to update residents and the public on the current COVID-19 situation after meetings with the Municipal/District Chief Executives, the Regional Health Director and the Municipal/District Directors of Health Services.
The meeting was to deliberate on the current issues at stake and measures to help curb the spread of the pandemic in the region.
He also commended the Regional Director of Health Services and his staff for working around the clock, in spite of some challenges, in getting things done at this trying moments in the region.
He stressed that out of the six new confirmed cases in the region, five of them returned to Ghana over three weeks ago from South Africa, Nigeria, United Kingdom, Germany and that they entered the country before the closure of the borders to persons traveling from other countries.
He added that the sixth person is an indigenous one who returned from the Western Region of Ghana to live with the family. He added that the first confirmed case is responding positively to treatment while the new cases are also being managed by the health authorities and that none is in critical condition as at now.
“What really is of huge challenge and concern to all of us is the discrimination and stigma attached to people suspected of having the virus. I wish to use this platform to appeal to all of us to desist from such acts of discrimination and stigmatization, in order to reintegrate persons testified to be freed from the virus into our societies and families,” he said.
He urged the residents to see disease as any other diseases and accept anyone who gets cured and reintegrated back to the family or society adding that it is the scare of being stigmatized that is making people not willing to accept self-isolation and quarantine; but that rather is dangerous to the whole society.
