Complete health projects before initiating new ones - Odike to government

The Founder and Leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Mr Kwasi Addae Odike, has called on the government to complete all abandoned health facilities initiated by previous regimes instead of starting new projects.

“Instead of cutting sods to begin new facilities, complete all health facilities initiated by your predecessors to be used instead of beginning a new set of health facilities which would invariably take several years to complete even if there are funds to complete them,” he said.

Speaking in an interview in Kumasi, Mr Odike described the government’s plan to build 94 hospitals as an attempt to win political points.

He, therefore, urged the government to desist from making politics out of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as the country was facing a very crucial health challenge.

He enumerated various unfulfilled campaign promises such as interchanges at various locations in Kumasi, a theatre to boost the organisation of social events and the arts industry among others as some of the failed promises.

Testing

Mr Odike suggested that the government should consider testing all Ghanaians to know those infected with the coronavirus.

With the current state of defiance on social distancing and observing other safety protocols, he said, testing all Ghanaians would be the way to fight the pandemic.

He explained that although the government had put in strategies such as social distancing, wearing of nose mask, staying at home when necessary among other measures, the rate at which people were defying the protocols made it extremely dangerous for the entire country.

“With the high rate of defying the social distancing protocol, refusal to wear the nose mask as well as smuggling of foreigners through our borders, it will be very prudent to look for urgent funding and test all Ghanaians to get the best data for the proper management of the pandemic”. Mr Odike said.

Caution

Mr Odike said there was the need for the country to prepare for the worse, since there was too much of defiance by the people.

He wondered why people deliberately refused to abide by simple instructions to help protect themselves with flimsy excuses such as “I am not comfortable using the nose mask”, “we are used to shaking hands as part of our culture” among other excuses people complained about for not complying with the protocols.