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Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom

Founder and presidential candidate of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) in the 2016 presidential election, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, has made available some 7 ambulances to help the government in the fight against the deadly coronavirus.

This was disclosed by her running-mate in the 2016 election, Brigitte Dzogbenuku at a meeting the president had with some political parties at the Jubilee House on Friday.

Applauding the closure of Ghana’s borders, the subsequent quarantining of some Ghanaians, and the partial lockdown implemented in some parts of the country, she added that the PPP’s 2016 presidential candidate, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, was making available to government seven (7) ambulances to help fight against COVID-19.

She said the political leader will make the ambulances available should the government need them in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

She commended the government and President Akufo-Addo on efforts to combat the disease, stressing that “we are quite happy. Nobody in the world has been here before, and no one here can claim to know how to do it better than anybody else. We are all learning as we go along”

“Let’s make an effort at taking off our competitive blinders, and put on our compassionate lenses, because, at this point, it is compassion we need”, she said to the political party leaders represented at the meeting

On his part, Ivor Greenstreet Ivor, the 2016 flagbearer of the CPP, noted that the world has been witnesses to how some governments prevaricated in the wake of the pandemic, and are now paying a heavy price for their actions and inactions.

“Fortunately, this is not a charge your Government can be accused of. Your decisions, thus far, have been decisive, resolute and very important,” he added.

Mrs Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, the 2016 flagbearer of the NDP, thanked President Akufo-Addo for the actions taken so far, stressing that “the actions have been timely and purposeful to the covid-19 pandemic that we have to fight”, with the National Chairman of the NDC, Mr. Ofosu Ampofo, urging for unity in the fight against the pandemic.

The NDC Chairman, thus, urged all “to come together, put our shoulder to the wheel, and assist government fight and defeat the pandemic.”

Former President, John Dramani Mahama

Former President John Mahama has donated PPEs and gumboots amounting to GHC300,000 to support the fight against the deadly Covid-19 in Ghana.

The items included 500 PPEs and 500 gumboots.

The former President in a live Facebook address Saturday said he intends adding on some more in the coming days because of the threat from the Accidents and Emergency ward nurses at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

Mr. Mahama also noted he was pleased with the investment his government made in health infrastructure across the country.

“It is with great humility that I note the massive investment made in the health sector during my tenure as President,” he said.

The donation comes as health professionals at the Accidents and Emergency Centre of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital say they will not continue working until everyone in the department is tested for Covid-19.

According to the nurses, all staff at the emergency unit are living in fear after their management hid information about a covid-19 patient from them.

“It is sad to inform our heads of department that it has created fear and panic among we the nurses who are always close to the patients. We write with deep pain and regret as such information has been kept from us and consequently putting us at risk.

“As we write this letter, a substantial number of nurses at the centre are not in their right state of mind,” the nurses in a statement.

They are also demanding for PPEs to be provided to them before they return to work.

Some food items the NDC presented to head porters at Old Fadama

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has presented some essential items to some head porters at Old Fadama to protect themselves against the novel coronavirus disease, a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency said.

The NDC National Chairman, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, led a delegation to present the items, which included; bottled water, liquid soap, nose masks, food items, sanitizers, drinks and Veronica buckets.

He was assisted by some other national executives including; Mr Prosper Bani, Mr Peter Otokunor, the Secretary-General and Mr Alex Segbefia as well as regional executives like Chairman Ade Coker and his Vice and the Regional Zongo Caucus.

After the presentation, the delegation conducted some advocacy and awareness training for the recipients on COVID-19 and how to protect themselves against it.

Mr Ampofo told the recipients that their work could never be taken for granted and that their needs were a priority to the party.

He also admonished them to take particular care of themselves and take the issues of social distancing seriously.

The Member of Parliament for Old Fadama, Mr Nii Lante Vanderpuiye, was concerned that the community faced hardships and admonished them not to take things for granted, but comply with the public health directives and assured them that it would be over.

The donation followed an earlier one made by the Party’s flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama to the Ridge Hospital on Sunday 29th March 2020.

He presented 100 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) sets containing gloves, masks, coveralls, boots and 400 cartons of water to frontline health workers.

Security personnel are on a manhunt for the patient

The Northern Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed, has confirmed that a coronavirus patient who was under quarantine in his region has fled the facility, leaving medical and government officials worried over the safety of people who may come into contact with the said patient.

The patient is said to be one of the 10 Guineans who were arrested and kept under quarantine in Tamale when they attempted to enter into the country illegally after the closure of the country’s borders.

According to the minister, the patient, whose name has been withheld scaled over a wall leaving behind her belongings on Monday.

He added that security personnel are on a manhunt for the patient.

“Since yesterday, up till this morning, I have not slept with my security people,” Mr. Saeed told the media.

Meanwhile, there are unconfirmed reports that the said patient has been found in a community near Kumbungu.

Local media reports even suggest that the patient was arrested by community members and have so far informed the police. But authorities are yet to confirm the new development.

It will be recalled that last Sunday, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) confirmed that the 10 Guineans who were arrested under the direction of the Regional Security Committee of the Northern Region for illegally trying enter into Ghana from Burkina Faso and Togo had tested positive for Coronavirus.

According to the GHS, they were put under mandatory quarantine in Tamale and were all later confirmed to have tested positive for COVID-19 after tests were carried out.

“They travelled through Burkina Faso and Togo to Ghana and were picked up following an intelligence report,” the GHS said on their COVID-19 website.

The Ghana Health Service says Ghana has recorded 152 confirmed cases of coronavirus with the death toll at 5.

The deputy Minority leader James Klutse Avedzi

Deputy Minority leader James Klutse Avedzi has asked President Akufo-Addo to rethink his decision to donate his three months salary for the Covid-19 fight in Ghana.

According to him, funds to fight the virus is needed now and not in three months as the gesture by the president suggests.

“Hello Mr President, Nana Akufo-Addo, you are donating three months of your future salary starting from April to June to fight Covid 19. The money is needed now to buy PPEs for our people. By the time your donation arrives, our people will all be infected. Are you aware of that?,” he wrote on Twitter.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Friday night during a national broadcast established a fund to help the fight against Coronavirus.

The fund which has board of trustees will be chaired by former chief justice Sophia Akuffo.

“I am announcing tonight the establishment of a COVID-19 Fund, to be managed by an independent board of trustees, and chaired by former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, to receive contributions and donations from the public to assist in the welfare of the needy and the vulnerable.

“I have directed the Controller and Accountant General to pay my next three months’ salary, i.e. April, May and June, into this Fund. Let me also thank, from the bottom of my heart, the churches, financial institutions and individuals who have already made donations to help in this fight. God richly bless them,” the President announced in a national address Friday evening.

Lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata

Family of former Chief Executive Officer of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Tsatsu Tsikata, has debunked rumour suggesting one of their own has passed away at the Ridge Hospital.

A family member who spoke to GhanaWeb noted that reports by some local media houses with the suggestions were fake and unfortunate.

Reacting to the reportage, the source stated categorically that “it’s all false and Tsatsu Tsikata is very much alive and well”.

It was reported earlier that an elderly man had died of the novel coronavirus after visiting the Ridge hospital on Thursday.

The demise of the man, they added was the son of a popular Ghanaian musician who they alleged failed to immediately disclose the travel history of the deceased following the admission of his father who had recently returned from a trip to the United States.

Apparently, it was the father of Ghanaian hiplife legend and former president of the Musician Union of Ghana (MUSIGHA), Bice Osei Kuffour, known in showbiz circles as Obour whose father had died at the said hospital.

In a statement released shortly after his father’s demise, Obour said his father, Nana Osei Boansi Kuffuor passed away after doctors said “he is likely to be a confirmed Covid-19” but described claims that he deprived hospital staff of relevant information as false.

Kevow Mark-Oliver and Emmanuel Akumatey Okrah sued the NIA

Accra High Court has dismissed an injunction application seeking to stop the National Identification Authority from continuing with its Ghana Card registration in the Eastern Region.

According to the court, the NIA’s decision to go ahead with the registration is not against the President’s directive suspending all public gatherings.

The Judge, Justice Anthony Oppong explained that the directive did not stop operations of businesses but rather asked operators to observe certain protocols including social distancing.

Kevow Mark-Oliver and Emmanuel Akumatey Okrah sued the NIA and succeeded in securing an interlocutory injunction preventing the NIA from going ahead with the exercise.

Following the injunction application filed at the High Court restraining the ongoing registration, the NIA subsequently suspended the Ghana Card registration exercise in the Eastern Region due to the injunction.

The exercise was suspended “pending the final determination of the application,” the NIA noted in a statement.