Several residents in Tema West say they would not allow a building in the neighbourhood to be used as an isolation centre for persons infected with the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).
The facility was handed over to the state by the owner, Bishop Gideon Titi-Ofei, leader of the Titi-Ofei Ministries, as his contribution towards the fight against the deadly Covid-19.
About 204 persons have tested positive, as of April 2, to coronavirus in Ghana since the first confirmed case on March 12. Out of the number five have died and 31 have fully recovered.
Some resident residents in the community fear they would be exposed to the disease if the facility is used as such.
One of them who protested told TV3, they are being guided by the incident in the Northern Regional capital, Tamale, where a Guinean living with the coronavirus escaped from a guesthouse she was being quarantined with seven other compatriots.
Read also: Residents bent on lynching lady with Covid-19 who escaped from quarantine
Tema is part of the selected areas in Ghana observing a two-week partial lockdown from March 30 as government stepped up measures to control the spread of Covid-19.
According to the protesting residents, the facility is located in a residential area making it unsuitable to host coronavirus patients.
The Member of Parliament for Tema West, Kingsley Carlos Ahenkorah had intervened and assured the residents that the facility would be used to rather accommodate frontline health service personnel in the fight against coronavirus.
This sunk well with the residents, but it appears there is a new twist to their concern.
Owner of the facility, Bishop Gideon Titi-Ofei has withdrawn the offer as he considers other options to assist the country.
“I wish to assure my cherished neighbours that the offer was done in good faith. However in the spirit of good neighbourliness I have decided to offer other forms of assistance in the fight against Covid-19,” he wrote in a statement.
Such concerns as expressed by residents in Tema West might have influenced the Health Minister when he said the location of the country’s isolation centre would not be disclosed to Ghanaians.
“Some of us may not want to go home if we announced that the facility is behind their houses. So in this instances, there are certain things that are kept quiet and people should not know where we are,” Kwaku Agyeman-Manu said in March before Ghana’s first case was recorded.
Read: Coronavirus: We can’t disclose location of 100-bed quarantine center – Minister
Source: 3news.com | Ghana