As of this writing, some unnamed Parliamentarians in Ghana’s National Assembly who had been reported to have contracted the Coronavirus or COVID-19 germ, were alleged to be flouting the self-suspension and self-quarantine edict handed by the Speaker of the august House with impunity by regularly attending parliamentary sessions as if they absolutely could not care less. Now, this is not only politically and socially iresponsible, it is also inexcusably criminal. As of this writing, the self-sequestration down handed by Prof. Aaron Michael Oquaye, that is, the Speaker of the House, in the wake of a mandatory comprehensive testing of all Members of the House, as well as staff and other employees, was in full force. What was and is still amiss here is the rather curious decision by the Speaker and the leaders of the august House not to promptly publish the names of all Members of Parliament who had tested positive for COVID-19, thereby permitting these infected MPs and some parliamentary employees, one supposes, to cavalierly troll around and unconscionably spread the virus both within the confines of the parliamentary edifice and environs and, literally, the country at large.
This reckless and socially irresponsible behavior well appears to be part and parcel of a perennially bizarre culture of avoidance of the stigma that tends to be associated with the outbreak of some new diseases. In the era of global information technology explosion and the Post-Global-Village Era, such regressive cultural mindset, attitude and behavior ought to have by now long receded into the past, especially in view of the fact that even major world leaders who recently came down with the virus, such as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and about a half-dozen or so leaders in Europe and the South-Pacific countries promptly came public with announcements to the same effect, even as they also promptly took cautionary measures to swiftly deal with the same.
Not only that, Messrs. Johnson and Trudeau also ensured that all the personalities and individuals with whom they had been in recent contact were traced or tracked down and quarantined and promptly availed of the necessary medical assistance and treatment. Which was why I was utterly flabbergasted to learn that Ghana’s Health Minister, Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, who is currently recuperating from a COVID-19 infection at the University of Ghana’s Medical Center, was playing politics with the true state of his medical condition. Earlier on, widespread reports had gone out that Mr. Agyeman-Manu had actually denied having contracted the virus. Rather, the Health Minister curiously claimed, according to news reports, that he was simply fatigued and so had decided to get some well-needed rest at the aforesaid medical center.
It would take the 11th National Address on the COVID-19 Pandemic, in particular vis-à-vis stringent measures taken by the government to ensure the containment of the virus, to officially let the nation in on the fact that, indeed, the Health Minister and a couple of his family members, including the Minister’s spouse and son or daughter, I forget which, had contracted the COVID-19 germ and were steadily on the mend. This breaking news announcement was, of course, made by the President, to wit, His Excellency, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo. Or does our country’s executive protocol dictate that it is only the President who is authorized to announce the indisposition of any of his cabinet appointees under such admittedly stressful circumstances so as not to cause unnecessary fear and panic? How can the rest of the ordinary Ghanaian citizenry be expected to take the deadly reality of the COVID-19 Pandemic seriously even when state ministerial appointees are playing possum or peekaboo with the same? Come on folks, we need some common sense here!
Not surprisingly, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Lydia Dsane-Selby, has announced to the nation that she has also contracted COVID-19 and has voluntarily gone into sequestration or quarantine (See “COVID-19: NHIA CEO Tests Positive” Modernghana.com 6/16/20). Now, this is the sort of enlightened and responsible leadership that Ghanaians require of our leaders. Dr. Dsane-Selby also tells us that the two other people with whom she shares her residence, namely, her mother and their household help, have tested negative for the virus. Which is all well and good, especially since Dr. Dsane-Selby has also assured us that all her recent contacts have been tracked down and promptly tested for the virus.
Like Mr. Agyeman-Manu, Dr. Dsane-Selby’s contraction of COVID-19 was predictable because both officials work on the frontlines. Even more significant is the instructive message that these two cases send to the general Ghanaian citizenry, which is the fact that the COVID-19 Pandemic is a real and present danger and absolutely no respecter of any personality, no matter how prominent or societally powerful or generously materially endowed.
*Visit my blog at: KwameOkoampaAhoofeJr@modernghana.com