Ministers visit injured tomato merchants at 37 Military Hospital - Assure them of support
The Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, and the Minister of Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, have visited the tomato traders who were injured in the terrorist attack in Burkina Faso, and are on admission at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.
The Deputy Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Sampson Ahi, representatives of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the Tomato Sellers Association accompanied the ministers to interact with the eight victims recuperating from the attack.
During the interaction, the survivors said their conditions had significantly improved since receiving treatment at the hospital.
The minister condemned the attack on the traders in Burkina Faso, describing it as deeply unfortunate because the peaceful traders who were going about their business should not have been subjected to violence.
Commendation
Mrs Ofosu-Adjare commended the medical team at the 37 Military Hospital for the swift intervention.
Emphasising the strong link between trade and transport, she assured of continued collaboration with transport unions and trader groups to safeguard livelihoods.
The Trade Minister expressed the hope that government efforts to ensure year-round tomato production would help prevent such tragedies in the future.
“It is heartbreaking that people conducting their daily business would end up hospitalised with such injuries. We are grateful for the quality of care available at the 37 Military Hospital. Only God knows what would have happened if the government had not acted swiftly to bring them here. For that, we are thankful,” Mrs Ofosu-Adjare said.
She also expressed the commitment that the government would support the victims until they returned to their businesses.
Quality patient care
The Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the 37 Military Hospital, Brigadier General Richard Naab, who received the guests, expressed appreciation for their presence.
He gave the assurance that his team remained fully committed to delivering the highest standard of care to patients.
Brig Gen. Naab also stated that the department was working diligently to ensure that patients received comprehensive treatment and left the hospital in improved health.
Background
On Saturday, February 14, this year, the Ministry of the Interior confirmed that a truck carrying Ghanaian tomato traders was caught in a terrorist attack in Titao, Burkina Faso.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, described the information received from Burkina Faso as “disturbing”.
He indicated that the attackers targeted a military camp in Titao, where installations were damaged during the assault, according to local reports.
Seven of the Ghanaian tomato traders were killed while the Ghana Armed Forces successfully evacuated those who sustained injuries.
Titao, in northern Burkina Faso, has faced repeated armed attacks in recent years and has been under siege by Islamist militants since 2019.
