Government institutions in Bolgatanga ill-prepared to fight COVID-19

By Godfred A. Polkuu, GNA

Bolgatanga, March 21, GNA – As efforts are put in place to curb the possible spread of the coronavirus, most government agencies and departments in the Bolgatanga Municipality are not well prepared in their quest to protect employees against the virus.

When the Ghana News Agency (GNA) randomly visited some government departments and banks within the Municipality, it realised that many of them had no hand washing facilities at their premises.

The institutions included the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), the Ghana Immigration Service, the Municipal Ghana Police Service, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), and the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly.

The situation was not different at banks such as the GCB, the National Investment Bank, Barclays Bank and Consolidated Bank of Ghana as at the time of the visit on Friday.

Some officers told the GNA on condition of anonymity that they were yet to procure them and that visitors to their outfits were directed to their washrooms to wash their hands before attending to them.

However, at the Regional Coordinating Council, Fidelity Bank, the Ghana Red Cross Society, the National Service Secretariat, the Agricultural Development Bank, Bank of Africa and the Naara Rural Bank Limited, handwashing facilities had been displayed at their premises.

Explaining the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly’s inability to provide Veronica Buckets and soap at its premises, Mr Joseph Atuura Amiyuure, the Municipal Chief Executive, said the Assembly was yet to procure them to be positioned at vantage points on its premises.

He gave the assurance that by next week such items and hand sanitizers would be available.

He said the Assembly was also putting measures in place to liaise with the Information Services Department to educate the public on how to prevent the spread of the disease.

The GNA also observed that even though the facilities were not available at those institutions, some of the personnel had their personal alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

GNA

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