Lawyer Edudzi Tamakloe has urged Frontiers Healthcare Solution Services Limited, the company administering the Covid-19 testing upon arrival at the Kotoka International Airport to allow travelers who doubt the outcome of their Covid-19 tests to seek other
He said the concerns of travelers should not be taken lightly stressing the need for them to be given the opportunity to verify their status from other health facilities.
His suggestion comes following test results complaints of some travelers at the airport including two foreigners whose videos went viral questioning the competence of the Frontiers Healthcare Solution Services Limited.
The two arriving passengers claimed to have tested negative in a PCR test they undertook seventy-two hours before they left their home countries.
Since international flight restrictions were lifted after the deadly outbreak of the pandemic, it was mandatory for entry points of nations to adapt to strict Covid-19 protocols amidst vigorous testing of travelers and without their borders.
Ghana has taken the exercise seriously and has been undertaking massive testing at the Kotoka International Airport.
In suggesting alternatives to the government on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana, Lawyer Tamakloe observed that the country must care about the complaints of travelers disclaiming that the latter’s aim is to soil the reputation of the country.
“In all of these, I want to find out the government’s approach to the concerns of my brothers from abroad or travelers. Because it cannot just be a case of fabrication or people just sitting down and as it were from nowhere, creating stories to embarrass the government. I have seen one of the write-up coming from ace musician Ben Brako or something. I have seen another gentleman. He did a video and in the video, he is basically saying that within a space of three days or two, he has been informed that, possibly, the viral loath in him has vanished. And he is completely taken aback and overwhelmed. There are a lot of people who believe that there are some that appear to be a rip-off from the Airport,” he noted.
Lawyer Tamakloe added that the aim of the company administering the covid-19 testing at the Airport is to arrive at infallible results not conclusive.
“I have had a personal call from a friend and a client. One of the big guys in one of the top-performing banks in this country and I have been calling and saying Edudzi, I just traveled to Ivory Coast. Before going, I did this test.”
“I just went, returned, got to the airport and after the test, I am told that I tested positive and for that matter, they are taking me to a place either to isolate or quarantine me or something. So we have indicated to them that look, you want to do another independent test may be from Nyaho or any of those places to be sure of what it is. And so he wants to talk to his lawyers. And so the opportunity was given. I spoke to him while he was with the officers.”
“They still insisted that once their test shows that he is positive, they want to have him detained. It was a bit nasty so I basically just encouraged him that if this is the regime for such testing and protocol arrangement, he should just allow the process whiles we try to see if they will permit us to do a second test from another institution,” he stated.
Lawyer Tamakloe advised the country to recruit independent health workers who can bring them undeniable results.
“From a professional point of view, you should not have a problem when someone wants to do another test from another institution either to confirm the results that you claim you have about me. There shouldn’t be that problem because as humans, the capacity to be vulnerable to faults and mistakes exists. And so it should not be difficult if the person is just making a demand that allows me to test in another health institution is obviously recognized by the government of Ghana. That opportunity should exist.”
The NDC communicator continued “Again the Presidential task force should have mystery shoppers to either validate some of these claims so that it does not appear that you’re just being dismissive. I get some comments obviously attacking those people and raising issues of sovereignty. I don’t think that’s the issue. Who wants to put himself in a video for what purpose? And so possibly, the people with the responsibility to handle some of these things must have the heart, possibly the courtesy to handle some of these issues and not escalate it,” he emphasized.
By: Ernest Tetteh Kabu | ,Metrotvonline.com | Ghana
