The Chief Director at the Ministry of Health, Mr. Kwabena Oku-Afari is lamenting that most Ghanaians have refuse wearing the nose mask as he is worried the situation could lead to a possible third wave in the country.
“When you meet people and you ask why they are not wearing the mask, they tell you it is in their pockets, and truly too when you check, it is there, it is nose mask, not pocket mask”. He said
Mr. Kwabena Oku-Afari made the comments after receiving some equipment and supplies from the World Health Organization (WHO) with support from the World Bank Pandemic Emergency Fund.
The medical equipment and supplies are being handed over at the time that a number of countries on the continent are experiencing a third wave of covid-19 with the Delta variants driving this surge in cases.
In Ghana, the recent increase in covid-19 cases is a cause for concern as mask wearing, sanitizing and physical distancing continues to decline among the public.
In complementing government’s effort to tackle the pandemic, the World Health Organization with support from the World Bank Pandemic Emergency Fund has handed over forty-four(44) patient monitors and accessories, twenty-five (25)oxygen concentrators and accessories, one arterial blood gas analyzer, five (5) electrocardiogram machines, one hundred and twenty-five (125) pieces of venture mask, adult, one hundred and twenty-five (125) pieces of venture mask, pediatric, five hundred (500) pieces of nasal oxygen cannula, with prong, adult and five hundred (500) pieces of pediatric nasal oxygen cannula, with prongs to the ministry of health.
Presenting the equipment and supplies to the ministry of health in Accra today, July 16, 2021, the country representative of the World Health Organization, Dr. Francis Kasolo underscored the need to strictly adhere to the public health measures by masking, sanitizing and physical distancing among others.
“I call upon all of us to ensure that we continue to strictly adhere to the public health measures by masking, sanitizing, physical distancing, mouth and nasal etiquette and ensuring that if we experience the common symptoms related to covid-19 we consult a trained health worker”. – He said
The WHO has pledged its commitment to supporting the government achieve low covid-19 transmission as well as strengthen its case management capacity.