The Member of Parliament for Ablekuma South, Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije has appealed to the government to as a matter of urgency, make potable water available to his constituents.
He said such a measure has become imperative in view of the outbreak of the COVID-19 in the country with one of the key preventive measures being the frequent washing of hands under running water.
Mr Vanderpuije made the appeal in Parliament yesterday to draw attention to the plight of his constituents for government’s quick intervention.
He said for over four months now water has not been flowing through the taps with the constituents having to travel long distances for their water needs.
“However, with the emergence of the virus, my supply of water through tankers is not enough to alleviate the suffering of the people,” he said.
He also asked government to ensure supply of hand sanitisers for free distribution to Ghanaians across the country since it was obvious that many could not afford the current price and had thus resorted to unprescribed means of sanitising their hands.
Mr Vanderpuije was of the opinion that if government could take the responsibility of supplying the sanitisers for free, it could go a long way to improve personal hygiene thereby helping to halt the spread of the virus.
He commended the government for taking the important step of disinfecting the markets in the Greater Accra Region, adding that, such measures should be taken at the markets more often to make the markets more convenient without germs and pests.
Mr Vanderpuije appealed to the government to heed to the call for a lockdown and mass testing as a way of identifying victims who have the virus to undergo supervisory treatment.
However, Ambrose Dery, Minister for Interior was emphatic that the lockdown was the least amongst the government priorities in bringing the virus under control in the country.
He said already, all the entry points into the country have been closed with new arrivals being quarantined; therefore the basic practice to observe to avoid getting the virus has been spelt out in Ghana Health Service guidelines.
Mr Dery said, a quarantine would not be necessary if people avoid going to places which were not a priority and therefore urgent, saying, “Just stay at home and observe personal hygiene and there would be no need for a quarantine.
BY LAWRENCE MARKWEI
