A Deputy Information Minister, Pius Enam Hadzide, has highly commended traditional leaders in the country for their massive support to government in ensuring compliance with the preventive directives in the fight against the coronavirus disease.
He mentioned, for instance, the imposition of restriction on mass gatherings including funerals and festivals, which he said was largely successful because of the understanding and active support of the chiefs.
Addressing members of the Western Regional House of Chiefs in Sekondi, the Deputy Minister praised the chiefs in the Region for joining hands in the fight against the pandemic.
“We are in this battle together, against the invisible enemy. I am therefore calling for the continuous cooperation among all the actors, and in particular, traditional leaders in enforcing the government’s directives and required social distancing protocols,” he said.
He explained that the purpose of his visit was to officially update the House the Covid-19 pandemic and report Ghana’s efforts confronting the disease including the ongoing community engagement to deepen awareness and to sustain the safety protocols.
He said there was no doubt that the stringent measures deployed by the government to fight the pandemic had inconvenienced some sections of the society.
He said the government’s overall strategy on the fight against the disease was anchored on five main pillars including limiting the importation of the cases, containing nationwide spread to the barest minimum and to provide adequate care for infected persons.
The rest include limiting the impact of Covid-19 on the socio-economic life and deepening self-reliance as well as increasing the country’s production capacity.
He said the government was implementing certain measures such as footing the bills of electricity and water of the people for some time and that these were aimed at cushioning the public, especially the vulnerable families, from effects of the pandemic.
Director In Charge of Health Promotion Division at the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Aboagye Da Costa, who doubles as the Leader of Risk Communication and Social Mobilization Committee for Ghana’s Covid-19 Response Team, admonished Ghanaians to show empathy to those affected, and assist them to adopt effective preventive measures to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.
He appealed to the Chiefs and queenmothers to continue to engage with various stakeholders to help drive home the key messages on non-communicable diseases, stigmatization and Covid-19 preventive protocols.
The President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi, expressed his satisfaction with the measures government had put in place to deal with the threat of disease.
By William Benjamin Peters|3news.com|Western Region|Ghana