NDC’s Ras Mubarak writes to Akufo-Addo [Read]

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Kumbungu Constituency, Mr Ras Mubarak has written a letter to President Akufo-Addo on the novel Coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Mubarak who claims he is worried about the spike in the country’s cases has weighed the pros and cons of a possible lockdown, as suggested by experts.

That notwithstanding, he is admonishing the authorities to do everything possible to ensure the virus does not take any more than the current 341 lives or even push the health sector to the brink of collapse and ravage the economy more than it already has.

“But the measures we take must not, for the love of God and country, include locking down, as has been suggested by some experts.

Majority of our countrymen and women cannot afford to live under a lockdown again. Majority of our compatriots will not survive a lockdown. It will increase crime and destroy our society than the virus would.

Thousands of infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists, from both the left and right, and around the world, through the Great Barrington Declaration, have expressed grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies.”

“Mr. President, in that declaration, these scientists have underscored lockdown policies as producing devastating effects on working class and youth populations on short and long-term public health,” he wrote.

Some category of Ghanaians can afford to survive a lockdown, but many of our people up and down the country cannot.

Sadly, we have not put in place adequate measures where food banks can be set up and help sent to those who need it the most in a dignified manner,” Mr Mubarak added.

Given the serious nature of the pandemic and its consequences on the country, the NDC MP said there is the need to focus on prevention by increasing public education and enforcing laws on the wearing of nose masks and other health safety protocols.

“Finally, there is little or no public discourse on vaccination. The silence is deafening. As a matter of public health policy, is Ghana for or against mass vaccination. If we are against immunization, what are the alternatives. And if we are for it, what are our targets, and what shape and form will a roll out take and timelines.

We are in this together, Mr. President. The virus does not know colour, class or creed. I implore my fellow Ghanaians to head the calls to protect themselves, their loved ones and other fellow Ghanaians,” he ended his letter.