He said the pandemic would have some consequences on national life, but the country should take the opportunity to start manufacturing locally some of the things it needed to manage the situation.

President Akufo-Addo said this in his opening remarks when he met captains of pharmaceutical companies, managers of the central bank and commercial banks, as well as regulators in the food and drugs business, at the Jubilee House in Accra yesterday.

COVID-19

The participants in the meeting were made to sit about two metres apart as part of measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19.

They were made to wash their hands under running water, their temperatures were also taken, after which they were asked to use hand sanitisers.

Ghana has so far confirmed six cases of the COVID-19 that has wreaked havoc in over 150 countries and claimed more than 6,000 lives globally.

As part of measures to deal with the pandemic head on, President Akufo-Addo has directed that all public gatherings, including conferences, workshops, funerals, festivals, political rallies, sporting events and religious activities, including services in churches and mosques, be suspended for the next four weeks.

Before dispersing the media, he said Ghana should possess the capacity to become self-sufficient in the manufacture of items such as masks, hand sanitisers and disposable gloves – the basic items needed to combat the spread of the COVID-19.

“We are not talking just pharmaceuticals. We are far too dependent on the things made abroad and imported by us for use. We should be making most of the things we use in Ghana ourselves, and I am seeing what is happening to us, in this crisis, as an opportunity.

“It has very big consequences, but it is also an opportunity. They say necessity is the mother of invention, and advisedly so,” the President said.

Spike

While praying to Almighty God to shield the country from an increment in infections, he noted that should there be an increase in the incidents of infections, the country would be presented with a significant challenge.

With the meeting having in attendance bankers, pharmaceutical giants and regulators of the industry, the President expressed the hope that “together, in this coalition, we can then begin to address these deficiencies in a systematic and pragmatic manner”.

“So I called you here for all of us to put our brains and minds and hearts together to see the way forward for the future of our country. Whatever decisions are made today are not going to transform the situation today or tomorrow, but, then, we are going to put in the building blocks, the platform, for the transformation of tomorrow,” he added.

Bank of Ghana

President Akufo-Addo said the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Ernest Addison, who was at the meeting, was aware of his constant refrain about how difficult it is for businesses to access money in Ghana, coupled with the high rates of interests.

He said there was the need for all stakeholders to work collectively to see how the banking sector could channel resources to some of the pharmaceutical companies, so that they would begin to do things for Ghana’s health sector.

“There is the need for us to work collectively to see how our banking sector, which, fortunately, under his leadership, is becoming stronger and stronger, can find a way of channelling money and resources to some of you here, so that you can begin to do things for our health system here,” he added.

He added that for the country to be a properly functioning nation, “we cannot continue to live off other people’s ingenuity and hard work”.

Rather, he said, Ghana had to live off its own ingenuity, creativity and hard work, stressing: “That is the only way we can build a viable nation.”

With those words, the President asked the media to leave, so that he could discuss issues in detail with the stakeholders in-camera.

Measures

As part of measures to contain the spread of the COVID-29, the President has given a number of directives, including the closure of all universities, senior high schools, and basic schools, both public and private, from Monday, March 16, 2020, till further notice.

Businesses and other workplaces can continue to operate, but should observe prescribed social distancing between patrons and staff.

In addition, establishments, such as supermarkets, shopping malls, restaurants, nightclubs, hotels and drinking spots, should observe enhanced hygiene procedures by providing, among others, hand sanitisers, running water and soap for washing of hands.