Youth in Ajumako Besease in the Ajumako Enyan Esiam district of the Central Region on Monday protested vehemently against plans by the Assembly to use the Besease SHS as a Covid-19 quarantine centre.
According to the youth, the assembly led by its DCE, Rev Ransford Kwesi Nyarko, wants to expose the people of Besease to the virus, hence his decision to allow the use of the SHS as an isolation centre by the Assembly.
One woman noted, “We live from ‘hand to mouth’ and so if the disease starts to spread here, we won’t be able to work to cater for our families.”
Another also stated that “The decision by the DCE to use our SHS as a quarantine center is not a good idea, we have children here and we don’t wish for any harm to come to them through the spread of the coronavirus. If the centres in Accra are full, I think tents should be erected at designated spots to quarantine the affected persons.”
A gentleman who also didn’t hesitate to share his view said, “We have not recorded any of the cases here and it should remain same; that is why the youth are ready to prevent any official from bringing the COVID-19 patients here to Ajuamako Besease to quarantine them.”
This is not the first time plans to set a quarantine centre in the region has received stiff opposition.
Last month, the Regional Minister Mr. Kwamena Duncan announced plans to use the St. Augustine’s College and the Efutu Senior high school in the region as quarantine centres but was opposed by residents and some teachers. Teachers of the St Augustine’s College went further to petition the regional coordinating council to revert its decisions. They complained the regional minister’s action was “misplaced and problematic”.
Few days later another demonstration occurred at Brafoyaw and Ekon, all suburbs of Cape Coast. ATL FM NEWS gathered there had been a plan by the Regional Minister to use the Aggrey Memorial AME Zion Senior High School and the Oguaa Secondary Technical School as quarantine centres. The residents opposed it saying it could endanger their lives.
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This compelled the deputy director of Public Health for the Central Region, Dr Godfred Kwabena Sarpong to appeal to residents in the region to cooperate with health authorities especially those whose communities had been identified as areas for siting quarantine centres. He indicated any objection would hamper government’s efforts at defeating the pandemic. He maintained that all facilities identified to host persons exposed to the virus would be disinfected and thus called on all to allay any fears of contamination.
SOURCE: ENOCH ACHEAMPONG/ATL FM NEWS
