Joseph Kobla Wemakor writes-The worse outcomes of COVID-19 battle
Joseph Kobla Wemakor
The worse
form of an accident or calamity is the scars it leaves in the minds, and bodies
of its victims, and COVID-19 is surely not going to fade away without leaving
some marks out here.
One such
big issue today is the stigmatization of those who have recovered. The worse
form of it all is that this kind of stigmatization happens when people suspect
you of having the virus without the proof of a medical test, they easily
conclude among themselves that you have contracted the disease therefore they
tend to avoid you.
Not to even
talk about the survivors or those who have been cured of the terrible disease.
The era of the lockdown we were told also brought about some degrees of
domestic violence perpetrated by some husbands on their wives since it made it
possible for people to stay at home with their families.
For
instance, in Ghana, the lockdown period lasted for three weeks after which it
was lifted.
Unfortunately, during the period, issues of domestic violence,
sexual and gender bases violence, emotional abuses among others were reported.
When Ghana first proscribed public gatherings for a month from March 15, 2020
after it confirmed the first case of COVID-19, schools, markets, churches,
mosques as well as other social gatherings such as weddings and funerals have
remained under a ban since the first order.
The country’s
entry points have also been shut and a lockdown is imposed on some major cities,
in regions where COVID-19 cases have been reported from in significant numbers.
Though the country’s President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has recently lifted
the lockdown, the extension on public gatherings still continues for two more
weeks, he declared.
Since his declaration
last Sunday, Ghanaians have received his messages with mixed reactions; some
were in approval while others were in disapproval of it for various reasons
best known to them. But the challenge remains for a fact that they have missed
the olden days which brought them together not apart in recent times.
Finally,
you cannot mention hunger without attributing it to the COVID-19 and lockdown;
they go hand in hand.
The loss of
jobs of masses and closure of businesses due to the global pandemic coupled
with the lockdown measures which ordered people to stay home and forfeit all
business operations in order to contain the virus for weeks is one of the contributory
factors during the period. Another contributing factor to the whole saga is
that the majority of Ghanaian population are made up of the vulnerable and the
unemployed who often struggle to survive or could not afford even three (3)
square meals per day. How far more in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic and
lockdown where hardship, trauma joblessness amidst staggering health issues
compound to give rise to hunger since aid in terms of free food, water and
other essentials cannot suffice the beleaguered majority of people .
It appears
at a time, most Ghanaians could not control the gravity of hunger being felt
during the lockdown as it worsen. What even worsen the hardship in the system
is that in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, prices of foodstuffs and other
essentials in marketplaces have skyrocketed by traders even though they are
supposed to see a reduction to cushion the people.
At a point
in time, you are likely to hear a popular slogan from the lips of the people in
the local parlance (Twi), if you have listened attentively enough: “It is not
the disease that will kill us but the accompanying hunger”. This alone goes to
give credence to the fact hunger is a great issue at hand. Not only that, the
hunger situation during the lockdown has also compelled the controversial boxer
Braimah Kamoko, popularly known as Bukom Banku who beseech President Akufo-Addo
not to extend the lockdown for an additional two weeks. Who knows, maybe the
President might have listened to his plea to inform his decision to lift up the
lockdown last Sunday evening. We’ll it’s obvious, the experiences of hunger
will forever linger in the minds of Ghanaians even after the dark days of
COVID-19 fades away.
The
COVID-19 with its lockdown though reflects a lot of bad things in perspective,
it brought about the horrendous, ugliest and unforeseen circumstances which
ought to be condemned in no uncertain terms.
CLICK THE LINK BELOW FOR MORE:
Comments
Post a Comment