Pressure group, Economic Fighters League has admonished politicians against interfering in the work of qualified healthcare practitioners in wake of the coronavirus outbreak in Ghana.

According to the group, “all politicians should back off from the matter and allow the requisite state institutions to do their work”.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) in a televised address on Thursday evening, March 12, announced two confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ghana.

The said announcement has seen many political actors run commentary, and publicly release key information on its development.

The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has today, granted interviews with the press disclosing information on the infected persons and steps being taken by health practitioners.

However, in an interview with Rainbow Radio today[ March 13], the leader of the Fighters’ League,  Ernesto Yeboah described the actions of the Minister as uncalled for and unnecessary.

“We don’t want to hear the submissions of Kojo Oppong Nkrumah. Ministry of Information should back off from this matter. They should deal with civic issues and others”

“We want to hear the voice of Health Promotion Division. We want to hear the voice of Public Health Division, Disease Surveillance Department, Ghana Health Service, Ministry of Health, CSIR. These are voices we want to hear”

He explained that “when it comes to health, it is a technical area, and the institutions I have mentioned have the requisite skill to communicate and handle the issues”.

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He warned that,when politicians interfere with the health issue, other political opponents are forced to needlessly counter-argue, diffusing the emergence of the pandemic.

“The more politicians are allowed to meddle with the issues, the more they provoke their opponents to come up with counter-information. We don’t need that at this point”.

“This is a matter of life and death, we don’t have time to needlessly politicize” he added.

So far, The President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in an address to the nation on Wednesday, 11th March, 2020 has disclosed that a $100 million will be set aside to support the country’s preparedness plan towards coronavirus.

This amount, according to President Akufo-Addo, “is to fund the expansion of infrastructure, purchase of materials and equipment, and public education”.

As part precautionary measures, the president said “I have, as at yesterday, ordered a suspension of all international travels by public officials. Except for critical assignments, which will have to be authorised by the Chief of Staff at the Office of the President, all public officials are to remain within the jurisdiction, until further notice. 

"Video conferencing facilities and other technological tools are to be utilised, whenever possible, for international engagements” he added.