Coronavirus: ‘Do you want us to die before you evacuate us?’ – Ghanaian students in Wuhan beg again
Ghanaian students in China, the epicenter of the deadly Coronavirus, have reignited their plea to be evacuated home.
“What hurts us is when we heard the Health Minister say they’ll evacuate us if need be. Do you want us to die before you see there’s a need? This is the time. This is the time to evacuate us” said Prince Arthur, a student in Wuhan where the first case of the disease was detected.
Their earlier appeal to the Government of Ghana for evacuation was shot down by Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Badu Sarkodie.
According to him, the probability of the students carrying the virus into Ghana could be high since they will be coming from the epicenter of the virus in China.
Coronavirus: Don’t evacuate Ghanaian students in Wuhan back home – GHS
But in a fresh appeal, Mr. Arthur in the Star FM interview monitored by theghanareport.com said even though government sent them some money, it is of no use since the entire city of Wuhan is on lockdown.
“We already have money. The problem is we don’t have anyone to buy us food even if we have money. All we need is for the government to evacuate us. Even if we have $50, 000 and can’t get anything to buy, what’s the use?” he quizzed.
Mr. Arthur also revealed that other countries have evacuated their citizens studying in Wuhan.
“Most East and North African countries have left, their governments have come for them so when will ours come for us. We are not safe. The surgical masks that we have, within three to four hours you need to change and most of the students, their food is finished” he said.
Meanwhile, the Korle Bu Teaching hospital has recorded two suspected cases of the coronavirus.
The cases were reported on Wednesday and involve two foreigners – a Chinese and an Argentine – who were both referred to Ghana’s premier hospital from an undisclosed health facility in Accra.
Samples of the two foreigners have been sent to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research to ascertain the presence of the deadly infection or otherwise.
Head of biology at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research Prof. William Ampofo has called for calm among Ghanaians after news of the suspected cases went viral.
“We do have the ability to check to see whether its the new coronavirus, the type of coronavirus or it is any of the influenza. So yes, the public do have some measure of concern but I’d like people to relax” he said on Starr FM.
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