The Chief of Asamankese Osabarima Adu Darko II has advised Journalists in the area to be very circumspect when reporting about Coronavirus.
According to the Chief, false reportage on the Pandemic creates fear and panic and also disturb efforts being made to ensure that West Akyem Municipality doesn’t record a case after its index case recovered.
The statement by the Chief follows complaints by the Municipal Health Directorate that a Journalist in the area continues to circulate false information about the Municipal Health Director, Dr. Samuel Boateng in his quest to fight the Pandemic.
The latest incident which the Chief adjudicated Thursday, June 4, 2020, was a publication that, the Municipal Health Director ignored him[Journalist] and other persons including Physically challenged individuals seeking to be diagnosed and tested for COVID -19. That, the action of the Director could lead to the spread of the disease defeating the government’s effort.
According to Dr. Boateng “the Journalist went to the hospital to do voluntary testing and he was directed to see the disease control officer and he met his absence. I was going for a meeting and he met me and I told him I don’t have an appointment with him and I’m going for another meeting so I can’t talk to him and I left. The District doesn’t have a facility for voluntary testing. Moreover, GHS has not sanctioned that in the country.”
When the case was called by the Asamankese Chief, the Journalist reportedly admitted not doing due diligence and apologized. The Municipal Health Directorate requested for a rejoinder which the Journalist is yet to do.
This is the second time, the Asamankese based Journalist has appeared before Nananom for similar conduct.
The Municipal Health Director, Dr. Samuel Boateng, told mybrytfmonline.com that, the Journalist must be called to order by the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) if he is a member for the continuous display of gross professional misconduct in his reportage on the Pandemic.
He said the West Akyem Municipality is now Covid-19 free following the recovery of the only index case and the fact that all other contacts traced tested negative. Adding that, despite this feat, the health Directorate is not being complacent as measures have been intensified to prevent the resurgence of the disease in the municipality.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com
