President of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Dr Frank Ankobea, on Monday, described President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s easing of some restrictions imposed due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, as welcoming.

He said the final decision made by the government after extensive consultations with stakeholders including the GMA, was a well thought through plan, to keep the country and its citizens, safe while still keeping a close eye on the virus.

“We were consulted and we gave our proposal, and we think that the government has blended well, all the inputs made by other stakeholders too,” Dr Ankobea said.

Dr Ankobea who made the observation in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra said what the Association was concerned about presently, was how to effectively ensure the enforcement of the adherence to the various preventive protocols.

“As I drove out from home to my office this morning for instance, I saw several people walking and going about their daily activities without wearing a face mask. A group of youth were also seen playing soccer as if nothing was at stake,” he said.

He said all the measures being put in place to keep the virus under control, would come to nothing if people behave irresponsibly and refuse to adhere to the preventive protocols.

He said the best bet for the country was for all to ensure that the virus was kept at bay.

The GMA President also stressed on the fact that as Churches, Mosques and other religious groups resume their activities, they must ensure the strict adherence to all the safety and preventive protocols.



He said the religious institutions must demonstrate their commitment to the efforts being made by providing facilities for effective hand washing as well as sanitizers, practice social distancing and insist on the wearing of nose masks at all times.

He said the effective recording of names, addresses, and other important data of all members of the congregation at every meeting was crucial, saying that, in an event where a member was to be traced it would be easier.

Dr Ankobea further advised the Ghana Health Service and its partners on the need to remain focused on slowing down the virus, saying “don’t keep your eyes off tracing, testing and treatment,” but to sustain the efforts to the letter.

He said it was unfortunate that the caseload continues to increase, with the recovery rate being a bit slow, however, compared with what pertained in other countries globally, Ghana could be categorised among the best countries in terms of the epidemic management.

He said currently the preventive measures, especially observing the social distancing rule, the mandatory wearing of face masks and the hygiene protocols were the only way out to defeat the COVID-19, as the world awaits the announcement of an effective vaccine.