The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has condemned handlers of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo after he was exposed to the deadly H1N1 Influenza at the Kumasi Academy (KUMACA) in the Ashanti region.
The president and other government officials visited the school two weeks ago when students were dying over an unknown disease then. A few days later it was detected that four students died from the H1N1 disease.
“We condemn the manner in which the life of the President of the Republic, H.E. Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo and other citizens, were endangered by their visit to the school without the necessary measures being instituted.
“We recommend that due diligence should be done at all times including consultations with all needed professionals in subsequent events of this nature to forestall any future occurrence,” the GMA said in a statement.
The Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang-Manu admitted the president’s life was put at risk when he visited the school for its 60th anniversary.
“The President was exposed to the H1N1 disease but he has not been infected,” Dr. Agyemang Manu told the media. “When we realised that he went there on Saturday without stopping him, we alerted his doctor and I think the President is in a very good condition. Between Friday and Saturday, nobody would have thought that this was the situation that we were going to go through. So I must admit that we put the president at risk.”
Meanwhile, the GMA is appealing to government to set up two infectious disease centres to deal with emergencies.
“We reiterate our previous call to the government for the setting up of at least two national infectious disease centres – one in the southern sector, and the other in the northern sector to facilitate prompt diagnosis, service delivery, research and teaching,” the statement added.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
