General News of Tuesday, 16 June 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Stop mocking Health Minister – Former Minister pleads

Former Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Rachel Appoh Former Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Rachel Appoh

Former Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Rachel Appoh has asked Ghanaians to be circumspect with their criticism of Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman Manu over his coronavirus status.

Reports of Kwaku Agyeman Manu contracting the virus were quashed by Despite Media reporter, Afia Pokua who claimed to have spoken to the Minister who told her that he was ‘only resting’ at the University of Ghana Medical Centre.

However, in his eleventh address on the pandemic delivered on Sunday, June 14, 2020, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo confirmed that the Dormaa MP was undergoing treatment after testing positive for the virus.

The confirmation by the President led to criticism and mocking of the minister on various social media platforms.

But Rachel Appoh has urged Ghanaians to stop mocking the Minister and rather pray for him.

Speaking during a Covid-19 donation exercise in her constituency, the former Gomoa Central MP said that Ghanaians should rather unite and support the government in its fight against the virus.

“Ghanaians should stop mocking the Health Minister. Some Ghanaians are fond of taking pleasure in someone’s misfortune. When someone is going through difficulties that’s when we rejoice. This sickness can affect everyone. It’s not shameful for a Health Minister discharging his duties to get the virus. Anyone insulting or mocking the minister should by his or her head in shame. This is the time for us to unite and fight against the virus. We should do away with stigmatization”, she said.

Meanwhile, the government has announced that Kwaku Agyeman Manu has been discharged from the UGMC where he was receiving treatment.

Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said at a press briefing on Tuesday, June 16 that the Minister is now being catered for at home.

“He [Agyeman-Manu] is not physically sick but he is taking the medication he has been given and he is responding to treatment,” he said.