Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has made a passionate appeal to Ghanaians to love and care for people suffering from leprosy, adding they must not be stigmatized.
Spending time with persons at the Weija Leprosarium in Accra on Christmas Day, Dr Bawumia called on family members of lepers to be ambassadors of change by rallying others to cure the misconception about the inmates.
“We should not forget or abandon lepers who are here and other parts of Ghana. All of them who are here are cured lepers and there is no problem with touching, feeling them and hugging them,” the Vice president said while hugging one of the lepers.
He added: “They are cured. There should be no stigma attached to them. We appeal to the families not to abandon them. Don’t only come for them when they are dead.”
Earlier, Dr. Bawumia visited the Osu Children’s Home and the Teshie Orphanage with some donations.
He has since assured management and inmates of caretaker centres and homes in the country that government will address all major challenges affecting them.
He added that the Nana Akufo-Addo-led government is conscious of the fact that it will be measured by the Ghanaian people on how well it took care of the less privileged in society. To that end, the government will direct much more attention to the caretaker centres and children’s homes in the country to ensure that standards of living and care giving are lifted.
“Government will provide the continued care… I’ll offer myself today as patron of the Leprosy society. We have to make sure they are well looked after. We’re going to be with you beyond Christmas and it’s our responsibility not to leave anybody behind,” Dr Bawumia emphasised.
The Vice President was accompanied by Mustapha Hamid, the Minister for Information, Michael Kofi Baafi, CEO of Free Zones Board, Lawyer Frank Davis, Board Chairman, Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority and Dr Oko Boye, a Member of Parliament.
Rev. Father Campbell, who is the Manager of the Weija Leprosarium welcomed the gesture of government and assured that the items donated will be used for the immediate purpose for which they were donated.
All three centres visited by the Vice President received amongst other things, hundred bags of rice, two hundred cartons of soft drinks, a cow and Ghc10, 000.00 each.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
