Construction of Tema-Mpakadan railway resumes 82 staff recover from COVID-19

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on the advice of the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has directed AFCONS, the company constructing the rail line from Tema to Mpakandan in the Asuogyaman District, to resume work immediately.

The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Eric Kwakye Darfour, communicated the President’s directive to the company at a short ceremony to welcome AFCONS workers back to site.

All the 82 workers of the company who tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have recovered.

The workers, mostly Indian supervisors, and other workers of the company had to quarantine themselves, leading to the suspension of  work for more than 11 weeks.

Major project

Mr Darfour, who addressed all the AFCONS workers and top Eastern Regional health officials at the camp at Belekope, a suburb of Kpong in the Lower Manya Krobo municipality, said the railway line under construction cost the country $398 million, adding that it was a major project dear to the government and the people of Ghana, as it was going to bring about much development.

He noted that the work, which was supposed to be completed within a year, was going to be delayed for almost six months due to the three-month break and the onset of the raining season.

He, however, urged the workers not to be discouraged but work assiduously to complete the project on time for them to go and join their families in their country.

He also reiterated the need for the workers to observe the etiquettes of physical distancing, frequent handwashing with soap under running water, use of alcohol-based sanitisers and, above all, the use of nose masks at all times to prevent further infections.

Cooperation

The Eastern Regional Director of the GHS, Dr Mrs Alberta Biritwum Nyarko, who declared all the 82 infected workers recovered and fit to work, expressed appreciation to the AFCONS management and workers for their maximum cooperation during the period of treatment.

She expressed the hope that such a relationship would continue until they were done with the construction work.

Dr Nyarko, however, explained that in spite of the recoveries, “we are not completely out of the woods yet and surveillance is ongoing to ensure that we chase the disease completely out of the region and the country at large”.

The Deputy General Manager of AFCONS, Mr Korimilli Murthy, said every worker had learnt a lesson in one way or another from the outbreak of the pandemic and would abide by the safety protocols.

He expressed the gratitude of the company to all the stakeholders, including health staff, the security and the Municipal Chief Executive for Lower Manya, Mr Simon Kweku Tetteh, for their support.

He gave an assurance that the company was going to work hard to complete the work to satisfy the desire of both the government and the people of Ghana, in spite of any challenges the company might face.

In attendance were the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Nuertey Ayertey; the Eastern Regional Director of Public Health, Dr Antobre Boateng; the Akosombo Divisional Commander of the Ghana Police Service, Chief Supt Cosmos Damoah; the Akuse District Police Commander, Supt Winifred Asare Nyarko, and the Head of Administration of AFCONS, Mr Pramod Kumar.