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Lawra, Ghana – Upper West Regional Minister, Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, has lamented that apart from COVID-19 and meningitis that are currently threatening the lives of people, there is a third pandemic known as stigmatization.
According to the Minister, there is severe stigmatization against suspected COVID-19 and those who had tested positive for the deadly virus.
Dr. Bin Salih made this observation at a meeting with the Municipal Public Health Emergency Management Committees in Lawra, Nandom and Jirapa.
The purpose of the meetings was to know at first hand how each of the municipalities were handling COVID-19 and CSM outbreak.
The Minister began his tour of the region on Wednesday and continued today with a visit to the Jirapa, Lawra and Nandom Municipalities.
“We stigmatize people we think they have CSM or Coronavirus and that is detrimental to our efforts in conquering these two deadly disease. If one contracts COVID-19, it does not mean the person is going to die. Same as CSM” he pointed out.
The minister added that, people with COVID-19 should be shown love and the affection they deserve and that it was not their fault they contracted the disease.
“Let us educated our people to know that it is not the carelessness or the bad behavior of people that they contract the diseases” he explained.
Dr Bin Salih further explained that, once people are educated about stigmatization against COVID-19 and CSM patients, he believed people would be willing to go for voluntary test at our health facilities with or without symptoms.
He appealed to people to always try and wear the mask saying that ” it has now been confirmed that wearing the mask can reduce the spread of the disease.
He noted it was still worrying to see young men and women congregating under trees very close to each other as he toured the region.
He appealed to the general public to adhere strictly to observing social distancing and other protocols involved in combating COVID-19.
He further directed MMDCEs to decongest their markets to avoid the spread of the disease.
Dr Bin Salih used the opportunity to salute and commend all health workers for their hard work so far towards the fight against COVID-19.
He however asked them not to be complecent but continue working hard until the virus was completely eradicated.
By SavannahNewsOnline.Com/Philip Liebs
