Kwahu Afram Plains area one of the most deprived areas in Ghana with many underprivileged indigenes has begun recording positive cases of Coronavirus raising serious concern for immediate attention.
Kwahu Afram Plains North and South have a total human population close to 300,000 scattered in both Islands and Islands. Residents are predominantly peasant farmers.
The woefully inadequate health facilities and health workers in these hinterlands as well as inadequate logistics and socio-culture Characteristics of the people make the area fragile to contain the pandemic should it spread among the populace.
While Kwahu Afram Plains South District confirmed its first case Monday, its neighboring Kwahu Afram Plains North District has recorded eight (8) cases.
The District Health Directorate submitted 45 samples of suspected cases out of which 44 results released with 8 confirmed cases.
The first two confirmed cases were recorded on July 3, 2020, while six others confirmed on July 10.
Some Police Officers are among the number of persons tested positive.
Despite the gradual spread of the virus, the majority of the residents are oblivious of the dangers hence continue to conduct affairs in blatant disregard to Coronavirus preventive protocols.
Wearing of nose masks, social distancing, and regular hand washing have been thrown to the dogs by residents.
The Public transport system in Afram Plains remains a major risk area where people could easily be infected.
Afram Plains have a very poor transport system due to poor roads. Very few vehicles operate. Most of the vehicles are rickety but still overload passengers.
A taxi cab could overload as many as six passengers -four at back, two in front.
Only a few were seen complying with the directive to reduce passenger numbers to four.
A driver who gave his name as Kwami said “our roads are bad.so our cars break down frequently so if we don’t overload it means we are running at a loss. Apart from that, the cars are few so sometimes the passengers themselves agree to overload because they struggle to get cars to their destination. They said we should reduce the numbers to normal passengers of four which we agreed and increase the fare from Ghc12 to Ghc15 but still it is not helping us.”
For residents who patronize tricycles as means of transport aid, your guess is as good as mine on violation of preventive protocols.
It is business as usual in Maame Krobo and Tease Market the two major market centers in Afram Plains South as Coronavirus preventive etiquettes are blatantly disregarded.
A resident selling at Ekye Amanfrom community told Starr News “the disease can’t come here because it doesn’t like water and we at the riverside can’t get it. They say some people have gotten it here but we have not seen them so it is a lie.”
Another resident who introduced himself as Yao Ernest said “nose mask is not comfortable I wear it when we get to the dusty portion of the road but not for Corona because Corona can’t be here we are farmers, always in the bush so how can we get Corona. It is a disease for the city people.”
Despite these weird views of the residents, Ghana Health Service officials, National Disaster Management Organization, and District Assemblies have collaborated to intensify public education in the scattered settlement communities.
Stephen Afram, the Afram Plains South Director of NADMO in an interview said “the Organization has for months dispatched its officers to Ekye Amanfrom to screen passengers, check their temperature before onboard the ferry to the district.”
The Assemblies have also provided hand hygiene facilities at various vantage areas particularly lorry stations and market centers to encourage regular hand washing.
Some health workers in the two districts say they have not been resourced in the health centers and CHPS compounds with Personal protective equipment (PPE) to work.
“We don’t have anything not even surgical gloves, nose masks, and thermometer gun which only a few have them. This area is remote. Both Afram Plains North and South have only one Hospital which is the Presbyterian Hospital in Donkokrom all the health facilities are health centers and CHPS so when we talk about Isolation center I think only Donkorkrom Presbyterian Hospital has.”
31 out of 33 districts and Municipalities in the Eastern Region have recorded Covid-19 cases.
Eastern Regional Covid-19 Cases count has hit 1086 with 956 recoveries and discharges. The death toll remains 10 in the July 12, 2020 update by the Regional Health Directorate.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Obed Ansah
