Radical Approach Needed To Check Covid-19 Pandemic Cases Upsurge

KOFI LUCAS, NARNGO National President & Project Strategist

Lives are at sake and protecting lives are important and crucial at this time when the entire world is struggling to cope with the situation of COVID-19 Pandemic cases upsurge.

We thank the Almighty God for divine intervention, mercy and protection before, during and after Electoral Commission’s registration, National Identification Authority Ghana card registration and the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary general elections.

This is because God gave us a Divine Grace Period in order to avoid constitutional crises due to 2020 General Elections. God held in check the spread of the COVID-19 Pandemic cases before, during and after registration activities and the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary general elections.

From 1^st January to 15^th December 2020, Hospitals in Ghana did not witness rapid upsurge of COVID-19 Pandemic cases during and after the registration activities as against 1^st January 2021 to date, after the Xmas and New Year festivities where people were not adhering to safety protocols.

We are told that almost all our hospitals are full and can no longer take in new COVID cases. This situation was not so, in the Divine Grace Period, from 1^st January to 15^th December 2020.

Mrs Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Gates Foundation and wife of US billionaire Bill Gates, has said the coronavirus pandemic “ will make Africa have dead bodies lying on the streets” that is her fears.

When the Hospitals are full and can no longer take in new cases, what do we think will happen?. COVID-19 Patients will be dying uncontrollably, and that is exactly what Melinda Gates is telling us in Africa, due to our limited health facilities, inadequate health resource persons and poverty situation.

Mrs Gates’s comments should rather challenge Leaders in Africa to get to the boardroom with critical strategic thinkers and professionals to develop a road map to find solutions to deal with her fears for Africa.

Even developed nations are struggling to cope with the upsurge of the COVID-19 Pandemic cases. We in Africa must first lookup to Almighty God for continuous divine intervention, protection, wisdom, guidance, direction, obedience, discipline and respect for authority through daily fervent prayers, and strictly adhere to COVID-19 Pandemic Safety Protocols.

Health experts have told us that when you contract the coronavirus, it will take at least 14 days to manifest itself. Yet, people go round blaming politicians for the current upsurge of the CONVID-19, making references to January to December 2020 national and political activities.

We commend Government for imposing restrictions on certaining social activities such as Funeral-Parties, Wedding-Parties and General-Parties among others.

We do agree with the decision taken by the President to restrict Funerals to 25 persons and banning all forms of Parties been organized after Weddings, Anniversaries, Burials and Victories and any form of gatherings or entertainments which will bring people together to eat, drink, taking of pictures and dancing just to mention a few.

Radical approach is needed to hold in check the COVID-19 Pandemic cases upsurge and we want to suggest that visits to the Ga East Municipal Hospital and other disease treatment and isolation centres to observe the trauma, pain and hardships the patients go through be organized.

The Lead organizer should be the Office of the Chief of Staff and the Team be made up of : The COVID-19 Presidential Advisory Board, COVID-19 Trust Fund, Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, Ghana Medical Association, Traditional Health Educators, World Health Organization-Ghana and Critical Strategic Thinkers Network among others.

The target groups for the visitations should be leaderships of : Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, Christian Council of Ghana, National Association of Charismatic and Christian Churches of Ghana, Prophetic and Apostolic Council, Pastors and Prophets Fellowship, Non- Aligned Churches in Ghana, Ghana Muslim Council, Full Gospel Business Men Fellowship International (FGBMFI), Ghana Women's Aglow, National House of Chiefs, Regional House of Chiefs, Teacher & Educational Unions in Ghana, Creative Arts Industry, Transport Unions, Drinking Bars Association, Event Organizers Association, AGI, Ghana National Chamber of Commerce, Ghana Journalists Association, National Media Commission, Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association among others.

After the visits, we are of the view that this will increase their passion, compassion, sympathy, human feeling and change of behaviour and attitude and subsequently join the President and the Government to fight and win the war against COVID-19 Pandemic cases upsurge.

As part of TV and Radio Stations corporate social responsibilities, short educative jingle messages be developed for these targeted Leaders to be aired or carried on Social media, TV and Radio stations 24 hours as an educational advocacy aggressively and comprehensively from dawn to mid- night.

People must know the socio-economic burden and implications on Government, Business Companies, Bread- winners as a result of the COVID-19 out break in Ghana and the global world, this we think will address ignorance exhibited by people in our communities.

Furthermore, a Team of twenty (20) be formed at the electoral area with representatives from Police, Military, Religious bodies at the electoral area level and position them at vantage points including markets,lorry parks / stations and offices etc to enforce COVID-19 Pandemic Safety Protocols, especially wearing of face masks.

We, Network of Associations of Registered NGOs in Ghana also suggest that as a matter of urgency, a proper four (4) year strategic plan be developed, to serve as a working Document as soon as possible and we are ready to champion and facilitate the development of the strategic plan, if given the opportunity and collaboration.

We can not win the fight against COVID-19 Pandemic upsurge with indiscipline, disobedience and

laissez- faire attitude and behaviour by the populace in our markets, lorry parks, offices, schools, funeral- parties, marriage-ceremony parties, wedding-parties and general parties, hence radical approach is needed and the Security is needed to be part of this crusade and fight.

Let us educate ourselves on proper dieting and nutrition in order to boost our immune system and promote healthy lifestyle. Some ignorant and mischievous people are making the winning of the fight against COVID-19 Pandemic very, very, very difficult, so God helps us.

We are working to complement the efforts of Government, it is in view of this that we wish, to appeal to the Chief of Staff to consider our above suggestion, and seek the approval and action of the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the caring and listening Father of the nation.

Thank you.

Yours in the Service of Ghana.

Issued by the public affairs directorate of NARNGO and signed by

KOFI LUCAS

(National President & Project Strategist ) 0244405632 / 0208184447 / 0262067337