NDP Article - Airport Tests and the Response of the MOH of Ghana

The National Democratic Party of Ghana wish to inform the general public about the ludicrous and false GHS response to the allegations over Coronavirus tests at KIA

A reply to the responses of Health Minister Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Menu from our party

In the article No. 1322056 on ghanaweb.com with the heading

“Ludicrous and false! - GHS responds to allegations over coronavirus tests at KIA”,

the Health Minister Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Menu apparently together with the Ghana Health Services Director have described as false allegations made by people they described as “Ghanaian born foreign citizens” concerning the COVID-19 antigen test conducted at Kotoka International Airport.

As a citizen of the African Union I feel offended to hear a Ghanaian Minister making what can be described as a racist or tribal statement. If the Minister really made such a statement, then one could describe his statement as extremely unfortunate. The Minister forgets that the President of Ghana, Akufo-Addo, is proud to have studied law in France. If he at that time did not require French citizenship to stay in France then he was the lucky one. But it is important to note that with the knowledge he acquired in France, the President is using this knowledge to lead the party of which the Minister is a proud member.

Furthermore it appears that ethnicity or acquisition of a foreign citizenship is not necessarily required to lead a nation but rather it is the acquired knowledge in those foreign countries that is desired for every nation.

President Kwame Nkrumah acquired his foreign experience in the United States to be able to free us from Colonialism. It is not naturalisation as an American but the knowledge that he has acquired is what helped him to free us.

The father of President Rawlings, though a Scottish man, lived in Ghana and brought forth a son who led this country for nineteen years effectively. Again here it is the dedication to our country and the experience he acquired from the army, that helped him lead this country for a period of nineteen years.

President Kufuor studied at Oxford University in the UK and the experience that he gained in England helped him to lead this country successfully for a period of eight years.

These examples I have given are to demonstrate that it is not the acquisition of a foreign citizenship which counts, but the experience that one gains in these countries for the common good is what is necessary. Therefore it is shocking to hear our minister emphasising about the citizenship of these people, Boateng and Ankrah. It is shameful.

I think who ever acknowledged that the lady mentioned by this Minister who apparently happens to be called Boateng could be an African and that is what counts.

I was born an Ashanti, in Kumasi, at a time when Ashantis looked down upon Ahafo and Brong people as inferior. My father, the late Ankobiahene of Kumasi, hated and condemned this primitive tribalistic behaviour.

Tests conducted at Kotoka International Airport

The person who is said to have alleged that the tests conducted at Kotoka International Airport (KIA) and the concomitant results were faked could be right or could be wrong, but telling the whole world that these people could be Ghanaians with foreign nationality is definitely contradicting President Akufo-Addo's policy on African diaspora. This behaviour of his minister is therefore disgraceful.

Answers requested from the Director of GHS

We, the National Democratic Party of Ghana, demand from the Director General of the GHS answers to the following:

• We demand evidence that those passengers who arrived at KIA did truly test positive.
• We demand evidence about how these tests was conducted.
• We demand to know what test was done and how it compared to the tests before boarding the planes as every airline and foreign airport on this planet conducts tests in order to not endanger passengers and crew.
• We demand to know what quality controls were done and how frequently and by whom.
• We demand to know why the Minister and GHS come to the conclusion that the allegations made against them were ludicrous and false.
• We demand evidence of COVID-19 rapid kit tests used. Was it SARS-CoV2 antibody test, what was the temperature range of that specific test ?

Ghana cannot politically afford any fake health organisation or mismanagement.

We expect the Director General of the GHS to publish a report of the investigation with all answers to these questions in ModernGhana.com and Ghanaweb.com within a period of two weeks.

Failure to do so will force us to send the case to WHO (World Health Organization) for further investigation, since the question of corruption has not been answered.

We expect the Director General of the GHS to publish a coherent policy of the healthcare service in Ghana. Too many people are dying.

About the COVID-19-Tests and Comprehensive Healthcare Policies

Comparison of procurement methods between Germany and Ghana

Checks in Germany

• COVID-19 rapid test kit for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies:

1. Test sensitivity and specificity

as per studies conducted in France with well documented blood samples: Diagnostic sensitivity: 91,45 % (n=117)

Diagnostic specificity: 97 % (n=100)

1. The Principle of the Test

Method of Testing is immunochromatography

Testing material is serum plasma (citrate, EDTA or heparin or full blood)

1. Test-volume: 10 µl serum or plasma or 20µl full blood
2. Test-duration: 10-15 minutes
3. Work room temperature: 15 – 30° C
4. Situational temperature: 2 – 30° C

This is the typical biochemical process of the SARS-CoV-2 antibody rapid test kit. The room-temperature required for this test should be between 15 to 30°C.

Please note, did the Ghanaian companies who conducted these tests at the airport fulfil all these required conditions I have mentioned above ?

Who controlled the required conditions for these tests conducted at the airport ?

For the readers of my article, please note the following:

It is expected that the tests conducted should be accurate and reliable as is done in Europe. The lives of our people are at stake.

Pricing of Antigen and Antibody Tests

There have been confusing articles about the the prising of SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests. I wish therefore to take the opportunity to inform the Ghanaian public about the current SARS-CoV2 antibody rapid tests.

1 Box containing 20 Tests, with expiry date of 04/22 (this should be checked by Ghana Medical Council and Standard Board) costs 85 €, with one single test costing 4,25 €.

Please compare this price to the price that the Ghana government paid for an equivalent box. I, Dr. Poku, am prepared to give the people of Ghana prices of FFP2 masks if requested.

3 boxes, containing 20 tests, 1 box costs 85 € with 1 costing 4,25 €.

This is ONLY procured from a registered pharmacy or medical supplies company, not from a sheik or any private person.

• Rapid Antigen Test Kit:

The test-material here is from

• nasal and
• oropharyngeal swabs.

Room temperature should be 2° to 30°C.

1. The SARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid test from Gehru
2. Box containing 25 tests, for nasal or oropharyngeal tests
3. The price per box with each 25 Tests is 123.75 €, so one test costs 4.95 €, if you buy five boxes the price is 113.75 €

Now that I have presented the prices and conditions in Germany to the people of Ghana, I wish to compare the prices at KIA Coronavirus Test to the Ghanaian public through the honest ex-Special Prosecutor.

• KIA COVID-19 tests raked in 17.3 million $ in the last quarter of 2020.
• From this, the Ghana Airport company, we are told, got less than 10 % of the amount mentioned above, while Frontiers Healthcare made over 90 % out of the total amount made.
• Please note: No bidding for the tests took place, therefore this transaction with Frontiers is illegal.

Tests should only be done only under the conditions mentioned above. Yesterday I conducted 30 vaccinations in my surgery. I conduct PCR-tests in my surgery, too.

The readers should be informed that vaccinations, procurement of vaccines, is internationally accepted as medical issues and only doctors, nurses and pharmacists are to be involved in this process.

The Minister of Transport has nothing to do with medical issues, this is clearly an example of poor governance. The People of Ghana cannot allow this impunity to go on unchecked. We the People of Ghana appeal to Mr. Amidu and anyone interested in this issue to seriously consider the question of impeachment against the sitting President.

Please note the following: This same government made laws about restrictions in the face of COVID-19 infection risks and the President and his entourage break the law, go to a funeral without mask, without social distancing and took with him the Chief Justice of Ghana and other Ministers and Members of Parliament. By so doing he has abused the laws of Ghana and refused to honour the oath of his presidency. If Akufo-Addo is not impeached together with Bawumia there is the risk that the People of Ghana, especially the Ashantis will say enough is enough and immediately demand a federal constitution.

This will enable us to take our fate into our own hands.

PCR-Tests

1. Why did the Minister of Transport talk about tests without specifying what tests were conducted or carried out at the KIA ?
2. PCR-tests on arrival can only be done if their immunity status is known.
3. Those arrivals without information about their immunity status will require PCR-tests which take 5 to 6 hours.
4. Which organisation does then the PCR-tests and for whom ?

The Government engaged Frontiers Health Solution Services Ltd. to conduct rapid COVID-19 tests after reopening the airport.

If this is true, then the President has committed an impeachable offence., as the President has no authority in our Constitution to give orders which are illegal and contradict the principles of fair and just and open bidding process.

Tender for jobs should be an open and fair process in a democracy. It cannot be dictated to by a president. This is abuse of power and impeachable.

In Ghana, after 64 years in existence, we still have no healthcare policy.

• We still do not have a General Practitioners Committee.
• We still do not have a Community Health Council.
• We have the Ghana Medical Council and
• we have the Ghana Medical Association.

We therefore do not need a Muslim medical association of Ghana. It is against our constitution.

The Ghana Medical and Dental Council

The Ghana Medical and Dental Council is a statutory agency that regulates the standards of training and practice of medicine and dentistry in Ghana.

The Frontiers Healthcare Solution Services Ltd. as a body can only practice medicine and provide healthcare services, if this body as a whole is registered and pays dues to the Ghana Medical Council which oversees its standards and practices.

For the general public, please note that any drug, vaccine, medical accessories imported into the country should have been registered by or with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Accra, without which the use of these vaccines, medicines or test-kits on any Ghanaian can be described as deliberately causing bodily harm to that person. That is a serious offence.

The question for the Minister of Health is therefore as follows:

Did you ever get registration from the FDA before importing these vaccines or the test-kits for the use on the people of Ghana ?

Anaesthesia is a medical profession and an anaesthetist can only practice medicine if they have basic medical training (general practitioner) of six years and thereafter a five (3-4 depending on country standards) year post-graduate clinical studies and training. Ghana can in this issue not cook its own soup. International standards are there for a reason.

The Council should have determined the adequacy and quality of Frontier Healthcare facilities, standards, procedures and, of course, personnel.

At any rate, the President has no right to give anyone the legitimacy to anyone to practice medicine in this country. It stands to reason that the amount paid to Frontier Health Services should be paid back to the people of Ghana and if I am asked, I will write a letter to President Putin to make an order for the people of Ghana.

Illegally acquired moneys must be returned and the incident examined and the organisation punished.

Testing at KIA was 17.500.000 $, “as per concession agreement Frontiers Healthcare, from this, services retained were 16.202.200 $ for its illegal services for the stated period.

The total number of visitors to Ghana

“The government engaged Frontier Health Services to conduct the rapid COVID-19 tests after reopening the airport to international traffic in Sept. 2020.”

This information was provided by Mr. Asiamah on Thursday, June 10th 2021, in Parliament after the minority leader Haruna Iddrisu inquired about details of proceeds from COVID-19 testing exercise at the Kotoka International Airport.

Imagine, if this rapid test had been done by civil service doctors from Korle Bu instead of illegally by a private healthcare company, the government, which at the moment lives virtually on borrowed money, would have reduced its 200 million Dollar loan by 17.3 million Dollars in 4 months.

The Frontier Healthcare retained 16.202.200 Dollars for its services.

The President, through his lack of empathy and spontaneous, impulsive actions is not fit to continue as Head of State of our poor African Nation of Ghana.

It is narrated, that he, on assumption of his term as President, that 200 of very expensive V8 Toyota Vehicles, each costing almost, I am told, 180.000 Cedis, were missing.

Till now he has kept his silence about this theft. The Tema port incident with a French billionaire remains for him only a secret, thus violating his Oath of Office. The Minister of Transport is not competent to talk about as health issue even if it happens at an airport.

VACCINATIONS

Arranging for the Vaccines

The Ghanaian Ambassador in Russia who is paid to represent Ghanaian interests in Russia would have been the person to initiate the contacts to purchase the required vaccines from Russia through the correct, official and trusted channels.

Names like:

• Steven Segal or
• Sheik Ahmed Dalmood al Makfoum of Mahama days

should not appear regarding procurement of a life-saving vaccine that is internationally available through proper channels. This entire affair is shameful and disgusting.

It is alleged that another company has been contracted to purchase 5 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine at a price of 26 $ a dose.

Furthermore, it is alleged the government of Ghana has contacted SL Global Ltd. to purchase 5 million doses of Russia's Sputnik V for Ghana for a 5 month period.

The Authenticity of the Vaccines cannot be Validated

1. The effectiveness, the expiry date, the correct storage, the correct syringes and needles, so far have not been mentioned at all.
2. The transportation and how to deliver the vaccines to the patients is unknown.
3. The temperatures required for storage and shelf life so far has not been mentioned.
4. The involvement of nurses, pharmacists and doctors is not mentioned.
5. A Protocol is non-existent.
6. PTE are not available.
7. History of patients regarding their present and previous medical history is unknown.
8. Distribution methods are unknown and who is to deliver them is unknown.

What I do in Germany:

The patient is given information with clear indication about risks and contra-indications. They read this information and if they agree to be administered the vaccine, they append their signature.

After the injection, they wait at the doctors' waiting room for at least 15 minutes in case of possible side-effects and adverse reactions. Then and only then they leave the doctors' surgeries.

In Germany and everywhere in Europe any treatment inflicted on a patient requires his or her agreement; this makes any treatment a contract between the patient and the doctor (or the nurse).

To give an injection to a patient or to draw blood from a patient is an attack on his person which requires – in some instances like this special vaccination – even a written contract.

Any healthcare organisation testing anyone at the airport is acting illegally, if its action is without prior consent by the patient.

I wish to give you an insight into our processes leading to vaccination of our patients in Germany. The protocol begins with a surgery folder or catalogue containing

1. patient information,
2. the design of this catalogue was created by my son, Reginald,
3. Written in front is
   1. information for the patient, “Patienteninformation”
   2. the content, with forms about
      1. patient name,
      2. date of birth,
      3. address,
   3. medical history,
   4. on top it is written COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019)
4. information about the vaccine used,
   1. information about the virus,
   2. side-effects of the vaccine
   3. advantages and disadvantages,
   4. what to expect when vaccinated and
   5. what to do in case of adverse reactions.
5. These pieces of information must be read by (or to) the patients, so that a reasonably informed decision can be made by the patient if he or she agrees to be immunised, further questions will be answered and the patient signs this protocol.
6. After the first vaccination everything is documented and the patient is given the original documents and certificates for the second shot as well as additional information on how the virus works, how the vaccine (BioNTech/Pfizer or Moderna) works and why the second shot is so important. This is a vaccination of the patient's mind against fake news, half-truths and other purposefully harmful disinformation designed to prevent us from surviving the virus and its effects on everything we worked for.
7. After the second vaccination shot the patient then has a folder with all the information and signed documents regarding the vaccination to take home and educate others from personal experience as well as scientific research, helping to change the hearts and minds of a whole nation, step by tiny step, gathering momentum, gaining trust, saving lives and livelihoods.

This is what I mean by coherent healthcare plan. One item fits another, triggers another action, supports it, creates another reaction, changing single lives and then much more.

The rate at which people are dying in Ghana is constantly increasing. This to my mind is dur to the fact that this government has no coherent health policy. An example is that the health minister openly told the Ghanaian public that 85 % of trained doctors are located in Accra and Kumasi. My question is: how about the remaining parts of Ghana, how should the people there survive serious

illness ? This is for me a serious issue because in my family almost all the men except a few of us are dead. This is due to the fact that the people are not made aware of the symptoms of problems they have and they do not have nearby polyclinics in their communities where when in need they can tend to. Until recently Ghana did not even have ambulances to take people to hospitals during emergencies. We do not have doctors on duty and we do not have on-calls. Normally, in all civilized countries, patients are admitted into the hospitals with letters indicating what they have and in Ghana, if patients are discharged from hospital, the doctors in hospital do not write discharge letters indicating what they did diagnose and the treatment for the patient and how the patient should take care for him- or herself.

The NPP government has been in power for the past five years and please note that all they talk about is infrastructure or projects and the people who are the source of wealth do not count for them. I can therefore conclude that the present government does not have any legitimacy to continue doing what they have been doing for the next three to four years.

A taxi-driver's head is decapitated an Ashanti chief is brutally killed by a Northerner and the Northern migration to the Ashanti Region can be described as a swarm.

To conclude, Otumfuor Nana Osei Tutu II., the Asantehene, will be informed that the people of Ashanti do not want to be exploited. Because of the inefficiency of the current government we shall demand a referendum for a federal constitution. We shall be masters of our own wealth and make decisions for ourselves.