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‘Treat nose masks like underwear … wash them regularly’
Some people, especially head potters and truck pushers in the Koforidua municipality wear their nose masks for days without washing them.
The Spectator encountered some with dirty nose masks, whilst others have turned their nose masks inside out, thereby turning the dirty part which has already been contaminated to their nostrils.
With regard to nose masks made from fabrics, health experts have cautioned the public to put them in soapy water or bleach-lathered water immediately they are removed.
The directive further advises that the nose masks must be left in the soapy water for five minutes before they are washed, rinsed, dried and ironed for use again.
These directives, however, have fallen on deaf ears for these people who have refused to obey the safety protocols in the name of not having the means to get more.
In an interview with Musa, a truck pusher, he explained to The Spectator that he hardly had time to wash his nose masks and did not have the means to get more.
“Sometimes to make ends meet, I have to work all day and by the time I get home, I am tired to wash them. Meanwhile I do not have enough so I just turn it inside out and wear for the next day then wash later when I come home,” he said.
Akosua Sarfo, a head porter also said that she could not wash it regularly for lack of time.
But a Medical Officer, Dr Zara Addo-Yobo of the St Joseph Hospital at Koforidua in an interview with The Spectator expressed worry over the situation and stressed the need for more education on the use of nose masks.
Dr Addo-Yobo indicated that the nose masks were meant to prevent potential carriers of the coronavirus from discharging droplets of saliva, mucus and other fluids that could suspend in the air or end up on surfaces for two or three days.
“Wearing the unwashed or dirty nose masks which may have the coronavirus sitting on it for hours, inside out, and turning the dirty part to your nostrils may cause the person to inhale the coronavirus and thereby get infected,” she said.
She advised the public to “treat nose masks like their underwear and wash them regularly” to prevent them from acquiring the coronavirus.
“I therefore urge the public to adhere to all safety protocols, including social distancing, regular and proper hand washing, and respiratory hygiene among others to help stop the spread of the virus.”
From AmaTekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
Mr. Alfred Nii Kotey Ashie, the Member of Parliament for the Odododiodioo Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, has assured the Accra Street Academy of his support in achieving its mission of uplifting vulnerable children within the community to break the cycle of poverty. “Without the needed support, your efforts may go round in circles due to the enormity of the task. This should not be left on the shoulders of the Academy alone. You need support from both government and the private sector. With that, the Academy would be in a good position to shape the future of these children on the streets,” he said.
The Accra Street Academy, originally formed in 1985 as a boxing arena, now serves as a school for deprived children, with most of its population numbering hundreds of pupils being neglected children from the streets of Jamestown and its environs. Mr. Alfred Nii Kotey Ashie made these remarks at the annual stakeholders’ meeting and fundraising event held over the weekend under the theme “Empowering Street Children: Health and Wellness.” The event is one of the Academy’s annual programmes, organized to raise funds and other forms of support to aid the school in catering to the needs of the children and holding its Christmas get-together.
According to the MP, it is worth noting that these children are taught and provided with two meals and a snack daily through the support of benevolent members of society. In view of this, he promised to facilitate the acquisition of documents needed for the construction of an Astroturf within the school’s premises. He noted that “every child has the right to play, and therefore I pledged to do my best to secure the needed documents” for the project to commence.
The legislator disclosed that over the years, the academic programmes of the Accra Street Academy have transformed children surviving on the streets into successful adults. He therefore urged other members of society to partner with the school to “help pupils rise higher for a better Ghana.” In the 2025/26 academic year, 22 pupils were absorbed by the Accra Metro Education Directorate as they transitioned into various Junior High Schools, while still returning to the Accra Street Academy for academic support.
Ms. Yvonne Abba-Opoku, a chartered governance advisor and senior executive in the nonprofit and charity sector, stated that the best gift to give a child was education.
By Spectator Reporter
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Mrs Regina Kudom, Senior Midwifery Officer at the New Atuabo Health Centre in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality, has urged expectant mothers to attend antenatal clinic regularly for safe delivery.
She revealed that “in Tarkwa and its environs many pregnant women prefer staying at prayer camps, we are not against that, you can be there, but when your time is up for your antenatal session make sure you attend.”
Mrs Kudom gave the advice when the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF) observed the World Prematurity Day with pregnant women at New Atuabo, Huniso and Awudua health centres.
World Prematurity Day falls on November 17, every year, and it is celebrated to raise awareness about the challenges faced by pre-term babies and their families.
She said research suggested that sex during pregnancy could soften the cervix and potentially aid in labour preparation.
“That is the reason why we encourage pregnant women to have sex with their partners, if they do not have any health implications,” she added.
Mrs Kudom appealed to the GFGF to upgrade the New Atuabo health centre as the current structure was too small because they received many patients daily.
Madam Ayishetu Mohammed, Project Coordinator for GFGF, explained that they received donations from Project C. U. R. E and the items were given to health facilities in their operational area.
She stated that they noticed there were baby dresses, sanitary pads, and baby apparel, so they decided to distribute them among expectant mothers in three of their host communities.
Madam Mohammed said because the foundation was interested in preventive care, they brought a midwife from the Tarkwa Mine hospital to educate the pregnant women.
She extolled the midwives in New Atuabo health centre for the education they gave to the pregnant women and implored them to heed to the advice given during antenatal visits to reduce maternal deaths in the Tarkwa Nsuaem and Prestea Huni-Valley Municipalities.
Mr Paa Kwasi Egan, Deputy Chief Physician Assistance, emphasised that a pregnant woman being anemic meant she was not eating a balance diet, and added that, “Some of these women do not have money to buy food or visit antenatal clinics.”
He said when men follow their wives for antenatal visits, they would be educated extensively on why they should provide funds for their pregnant wives.
Mr Egan, therefore, encouraged all men to be involved in their pregnant wives’ antenatal care appointments so they could learn more about pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. – GNA
