Western Regional Minister Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah has said the observance of the Covid-19 safety protocols has to a large extent prevented many Ghanaians from contracting diseases apart from the Covid-19.
According to the minister, the basic protocols of hand washing and the application of alcohol-based sanitizers on the hands did not only frustrate the spread of Covid-19, but also helped in preventing the spread of other common diseases in the country.
He said “many Ghanaians are healthy today because of the adherence to the safety protocols including, especially the washing of hands and application of alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
The Regional Minister made the assertion at Market Circle in the Sekondi-Takoradi Municipality when the region took its turn of the third phase of the ongoing national market disinfection which commenced on Sunday.
The exercise, an initiative of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) in collaboration with waste management company—Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZGL) and Grundy Management Service, covered all markets and lorry stations in region.
“The whole nation is observing the safety protocols, a reason diseases like cholera and others have gone down; and it is also mainly because of the frequent washing of hands and the wearing of nose masks and also the social distancing,” he said.
Mr. Darko-Mensah reiterated the need for resident to continue to observe the Covid-19 preventive measures and also encouraged market women to cooperate with Zoomlion and its partners to ensure a successful operation.
“Covid-19 is still with us so we should not take it for granted,” he cautioned, adding, “This is where I want to use this opportunity to urge residents in the municipality to cooperate with the assembly and also wear their nose masks when going out for their own safety.”
The Western Regional Zoomlion General Manager, Alhaji Abdulai Abdullah, said they were partnering Grundy Management Service to disinfect about 245 markets and other public spaces.
He thus appealed to the media to use their respective platforms to educate Ghanaians on the Covid-19 protocols to save lives.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi