The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has called on the Akufo-Addo led government to initiate a nationwide lockdown to limit the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

According to the GMA, the calls for a lockdown is necessitated by the recent disturbing trend of community spread and the inadequate capacity of Ghana’s Health System to deal with large number of cases.

The GMA in a statement signed by its President, Dr Frank Ankobea, said, despite some few problems associated with a lockdown procedure, it is relatively an appropriate way in dealing with a pandemic situation as being currently experienced.

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“The lockdown though not a comfortable decision for leadership and citizens alike, it is a proven option backed by science and along with the other measures will ultimately be in our best interest”, the statement asserted.

The GMA therefore called on Ghanaians and all stakeholders to okay the move for an immediate lockdown.
GMA’s plea adds to calls from other Civil Society Groups and major stakeholders in clamouring for a lockdown of the country.

The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), which is at the forefront of testing for COVID-19 cases, called for a lockdown on human movement as another proactive solution to the escalation of the community spread of the COVID-19 in Ghana.

The biggest opposition party, National Democratic Congress (NDC) urged the government to speedily take the decision. The NDC argued that, the only realistic window of opportunity available to Ghana, to put in an effective mechanism to control the spread of the disease should be measured in days rather than weeks, as we race against time.

Read the Full Statement from the GMA below.