General News of Monday, 23 March 2020

Source: starrfm.com.gh

Coronavirus: NDC ‘experts’ are welcome – Deputy Health Minister

Deputy Health Minister, Alexander Abban Deputy Health Minister, Alexander Abban

Deputy Health Minister, Alexander Abban says the experts who were named by the opposition NDC to support government’s efforts at fighting coronavirus are welcome to the field.

According to him, the virus is colour blind so any kind of help is appreciated by government.

“The fight is not for NDC or NPP it is for all Ghanaians. There have been individuals with expertise who are calling to help every day and I refer them to the Ghana Health Service.

“We do not necessarily have to put a tag on them before they can help, so wherever they can assist they should come on board. I do not have any official position but why not, we need all human beings to come on board,” he told Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Monday.

Former President John Mahama on Sunday unveiled a team of technical experts to augments government’s efforts at fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the former President, he is willing to avail himself for the campaign against the virus whenever he is called upon.

Below is the list of the technical experts announced by Mr. Mahama

1. Nana Kofi Quakyi (Assitant Professor in Public Health/Specialist in Health Economics)

2. Dr. Vida Yarkong (Ph.D in Interdisciplinary Medicine)

3. Dr. Prosper Akanbong- Immediate Past CEO of Tamale Teaching Hospital and Physician Consultant.

4. Dr. Jehu Appiah: Senior Medical Consultant and former General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association

5. Prosper Bani- Former Minister of Interior and former Head of UNDP’s Crisis Prevention and Recovery Team for Africa’s.

6. Dr. Ezanator Rawlings- Medical Doctor

7. Hon. Alex Segbefia: former minister of Health

8. Hon. Mintah Akando- Ranking member on committee of Heath

9. Prof. Margaret Kweku- UHAS

10. Dr.Jonas Asamoah- Public Health Expert, Hawa Memorial Hospital, Osiem.

11. Mrs. Mawuena Trebarh – (Communications Specialist)

So far the coronavirus infections have hit 308,547 globally with 13,069 deaths. However, 95,829 people have recovered from the deadly disease.

Italy now the pandemic’s new epicentre has more than 53,000 recorded infections and more than 4,800 dead, and the rate of increase keeps growing, with more than half the cases and fatalities coming in the past week.

On Saturday, officials reported 793 additional deaths, by far the largest single-day increase so far. Italy has surpassed China as the country with the highest death toll, becoming the epicentre of a shifting pandemic.