The Executive Director of the Policy Think Tank, “We the People Matter Movement”, Dr. Sa-ad Iddrisu, has donated five hundred protective face masks to the residents of Tamale in the metropolis of the Northern region, to help protect themselves from the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

The distribution of the face masks covered various market men and women, taxi drivers, yellow-yellow cab drivers, street hawkers, and shoppers within the central business district of Tamale.

The organization made the donation with the belief that various organizations and individuals have made efforts in delivering Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to government and health centres, but forgot of the vulnerable individuals on the streets, in the markets, and at the lorry stations in the metropolis.

As part of the organization's social responsibilities, they used the opportunity to educate the traders on the dangers and precautionary measures to follow as they go about their businesses.

The organization also expressed serious worry about the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the region, which has seen an increasing number of infections now at 34.

The distribution, done on behalf of Dr. Sa-ad Iddrisu, was led by Mr Abdul Razak Carlos and Ramatu Abdulai, a nurse at the Tamale Teaching Hospital.

Miss Abdulai, explained that the organization finds it necessary to come to the aid of the market women, street hawkers and business people in these trying times in order to help protect themselves against the spread of COVID- 19 which is making life difficult for people globally.

According to the Peri-Operative nurse, using a face mask, has been one of the preventive measures recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). It has also been recommended by the government of Ghana to constantly wear protective masks, as the country battles the pandemic.

In this regard, donating the face masks to the residents of Tamale couldn’t have come at a better time when the infection rate in the metropolis has started increasing.

Nurse Ramatu further stated that the distribution also targeted under-aged children who are also in the market doing head porting as well as villagers who come to the metropolis for their business activities.

She also advised the public to observed the safety protocols the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has outlined to stop the spread of the virus in the region.