By Nathaniel Nartey
The Ghana Medical Association, GMA has thrown its support behind the government’s decision to surcharge Airlines which bring unvaccinated passengers to Kotoka International Airport for $ 3,500 dollars per head.
General Secretary of the Association Dr. Titus Beyuo told Nathaniel Nartey that the GMA supports any proactive move by the government that seeks to prevent the further spread of the virus.
Responding to concerns regarding the latest travel protocol which mandates persons 18 and above moving in and out of the country to be vaccinated, Dr. Beyuo said the Minister of Health has the right to initiate such directives if need be.
He said the Minister draws his powers from the Public Health Act, and justified why such travel restrictions are necessary.
“Under our Public Health Act, the Minister of Health has the right to issue certain directives and some of the conditions for which such directives can be issued are that the scenario must be a serious public health concern that threatens the lives of people, is Covid-19 doing that?, yes!. The measures introduced must be effective and that too yes”, according to General Secretary of the Association Dr. Titus Beyuo.
Also of concern in the latest protocols on travels is the exemption of Airline crew from the must vaccinate list.
Passengers on transit through Accra are also not required to take Covid-19 tests.
Dr. Beyuo said special measures will be put in place to handle these scenarios.
”If government says when transiting and not entering the community and going to be in isolation at the Airport with no risk to the population and because of that they do not make it mandatory for the passengers to test for Covid-19, there can be reasons for that and it is not something that I will immediately condemn… Airlines have their own Protocols. I know of some Airlines who test their crews 3 times a week and they are all fully vaccinated”.