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Nandom, Ghana – National Democratic Congress Parliamentary candidate for the Nandom Constituency, Dr. Richard Kuuire has pleaded with traditional leaders in the area to support government’s efforts by placing a ban on all funeral activities in order to keep at bay the emergence of the coronavirus disease.
Besides funeral activities, he also entreated the people of Nandom to put on hold any other activities that will bring together more than 25 people at a time, at least for the period of the president’s directive.
While promising to scale up ongoing hepatitis screening efforts in the constituency, he said education on cerebrospinal meningitis and covid-19 would be included.
“Those of us in the diaspora should do well to remember those of us in Nandom in terms of sanitary items such as soap and hand sanitizers for individuals, Personal Protective Equipment such as hand gloves and nose mask for our health facilities and most of all household food”, he said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
Below is the statement:
MESSAGE FROM DR RICHARD KUUIRE TO THE PEOPLE OF NANDOM ON THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE OUTBREAK OF CEREBROSPINAL MENINGITIS (CSM)
My Fellow Nandome, accept my felicitations even as we traverse dangerous times. It is my fervent hope that this message reaches all of you in good health and sound mind.
As many of us are aware, the world is faced with a pandemic (COVID-19) that is threatening the very foundation of humanity but even more devastating is the outbreak of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) in Nandom.
This deadly phenomenon is pushing us in Nandom towards a health crisis.
However, I want to encourage all of us, to dig deep, reflect hard and reach for our sense of calm. We may be scared but we should not panic. I do not doubt the resilience of Nandome in crisis moments and I know that we will fight shoulder to shoulder to defeat this double jeopardy.
Whiles we should acknowledge the global situation and take all the precautions necessary on the Corona Virus let us double our attention and efforts to immediately mitigate and contain the spread of CSM that has already snuff out the lives of about 6 Nandome and still spreading alarmingly.
On this score, we need to mobilize all the resources at our disposal to effectively support government and local institutional initiatives to combat these diseases.
- As a first step, I will scale up an ongoing Hepatitis Screening exercise we initiated in Nandom to include education and sensitization on CSM and COVID-19 even as we take precautions on gatherings and recommended standard operating procedures.
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I will also urge that we reactivate the WASH campaign that was successfully implemented by CARE International and the Netherlands Development Organization in collaboration with the Assembly in eradicating open defecation, scale it up and encourage households to erect those hand washing facilities complete with soap in front of every house, in around and all public places including markets, pito joints, beer bars among others. This is to facilitate easy access to flowing water as we promote regular hand washing among us.
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If possible, we should put on hold all activities that will bring more than 25 people together at a time, at least for the period of the President’s Directives. I will plead with the traditional authorities to also lead in efforts to ban all funeral activities as we have always done during times like this.
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We should endeavour to report and transport all suspected cases or anybody showing symptoms of either COVID-19 or CSM to the nearest health facility for attention as quickly as possible. Please, all health service facilities especially traditional health service providers should be put on alert to identify and report such cases that may come to their facilities to the nearest formal health facility.
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Those of us in the diaspora should do well to remember those of us in Nandom in terms of sanitary items such as soap and hand sanitizers for individuals, Personal Protective Equipment such as hand gloves and nose mask for our health facilities and most of all household food.
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Please, those of us who are literate should endeavour to help our unfortunate brothers and sisters by educating them in Dagara on all the precautionary messages and help lines so that nobody will fall a victim to these diseases unknowingly. In doing this let us avoid sensationalism and the spread of fake news on these diseases.
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Above all, let us not forget our God Almighty upon whom Nandom relies for everything. The Church and Mosque may be closed but our hearts and minds should not be closed to God. Let us seek him earnestly and he will once again come to our rescue.
Let us all be our brother’s and Sister’s keeper in these uncertain times.
Like I indicated earlier, We have hit the ground in mobilizing support to fight these twin menace with the help of the medical screening team we have deployed and we hope that all will join hands to support this fight.
I know Nandome are survivors and shall overcome this one too, God being our help.
Thank you.
Long live Nandom !
Long Live Ghana !
…..signed….
Dr Richard Kuuire
ParliamentaryCandidate
National Democratic Congress (NDC), 2020
Nandom Constituency
18/03/2020
By SavannahNewsOnline.Com/Philip Liebs
