Background
His Excellency, Nana Akufo-Addo, The President of Ghana addressed the nation on a televised broadcast on Friday night, 27/03/2020 on the update of coronavirus pandemic in Ghana. During his (President) speech, he declared partial lockdown in the hotspot areas such as Greater Accra, Greater Kumasi and Kasoa under the Imposition of Restrictions Act, 2020 (Act 1012) to be able to contain the disease but The President on Sunday night, 19/04/2020 addressed the nation again, and lifted the partial lockdown of Greater Accra, Great Kumasi and Kasoa. Most opponents have raised issues as to why there was partial lockdown when confirmed cases were 59 but lifted the partial lockdown when confirmed cases have skyrocketed to 1042 while proponents support the action. This article will focus on the Health,Socioeconomic, and Security implications from the point of views from both Proponents and Opponents.
Keywords; Proponents, Opponents, Health, Socioeconomic and Security.
Proponents Views.
President Akufo-Addo on Monday, 20/04/2020 met the leaders of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) at the Golden Jubilee House to explain to the leadership why his government took that decision to lift the partial lockdown.
Health and Science Views; The President said “to trace victims of this disease, being able to test, being able to isolate and quarantine those people so that we take them out of the population, and, of course, the treatment”.
Additionally, the President explained that the partial lockdown was done to be able to study the demography of the disease, in terms of the sick, and in terms of disease. He also said large pool of information as to how the disease is unfolding in our country have been obtained.
The President of Ghana during the meeting with the Ghana Medical Association said if the government did not aggressively go out and test infected persons and their contacts, these confirmed cases would have been within the population. According to the President, nearly the 70,000 contacts is giving them the demography, the infection rate, the death rate, and the number of the people who are affected and are moderately ill.
Dr. Joseph Kofi Gyanteh commented that to maintain the health status quo, you will need enormous economic machinations. He further explained that the cost of feeding alone to boost one’s immune system is very expensive. Metaphorically, Dr. Gyanteh said “a wise surgeon will not intentionally cause an injury simply because he knows how to suture the injury”.
However, the opponents have different health and science views on the justification of lifting of the partial lockdown.
Opponents Views.
According to Dr. Koma Jehu-Appiah, a Public Health physician on ‘point of view’ program on citi tv on 20/04/2020, University College of London did a research with findings that Proper lockdown produces 40% reduction in transmissions of the disease, closing down schools gives 15% reduction in transmissions, restrictions on mass gatherings; 7% reduction in transmissions and physical distancing gives 6% reduction in transmissions. He concluded that this tells you that there is positivity of lockdown.
Mr. Benson Owusu-Atuahene, a Public Health Expert, PhD (candidate) is of the view that ease restrictions when infection rates are declined or the curve is flattened. He further argued that doing more tests within a region per population does not mean your infection is going down as evidenced by the enhanced contact tracing and testing producing a skyrocketed case numbers indicate that there is community spread, hence infection rate is ascending.
Dr. Hadi Abdullah, a neurologist and zongo boy also opined that it is still not known why some young persons without co-morbidity ( underlying condition) have a severe form of COVID-19. He gave his experiences on the clinical field as his patient who had poorly controlled diabetes, hypertension, kidney failure, Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), possible Pulmonary Embolism (P.E) and Spinal epidural abscess survived without ventilator but oxygen. He added that you don’t relax restrictions when 7 more regions have reported cases of the virus, and when there are more 18,000 samples to be tested.
Socioeconomic Implications.
Proponents Views.
The President of Ghana reiterated during the meeting with Ghana Medical Association that he is aware majority of Ghanaians are informal workers who work from hand to mouth, he cannot ignore the economic impact of citizens.
Dr. Joseph Kofi Gyanteh also focused the argument on social and security implications such that a hungry man is an angry man, and that there could be mass uprising by hungry and angry citizens which may have a threat to security of the state.
Opponents Views.
Most opponents accepted that the continuous lockdown will cripple the economic but see health as paramount, although people need to work to get food to eat to survive, and boost their immune system.
Others argue in political line during closed monitoring on social media which include the following.
Others too use the advantage to reassure Ghanaians to follow strictly the precautionary measures put in place by the government and health authorities as well as WHO.
Conclusion.
All the above arguments are very valid but let come together as one nation to fight this biological enemy by putting on the face mask when we are going out, observe social distancing, frequent hand washing with soap under running water water and others. And please, do not move out if you don’t have anything necessary to do although there is no lockdown but the Government of Ghana added that he will not hesitate to Lockdown on community based and even impose curfew if the need be. Let be self-discipline to protect ourselves, our loved ones and the entire community.
#Spreadcalmnotfear
#Stayathome
#Thistooshallpass
Kwasi Omaro 