It could be recalled that, the Abuakwa North Municipal Assembly circulated a letter dated 11th February, 2021 to bring to the attention of the general public and stake holders, measures of private burials in line with COVID 19 presidential directives number 23 as reviewed by the municipal security council (MUSEC) at a meeting held on Thursday 11th February, 2021.
The following were emphasized.
- Corpses should be moved from the morgue to the cemetery.
- Activities at the morgues are limited to 25 persons including mourners and sympathizers detailed to prepare and pick up corpses for burial.
- Erecting of canopies for mourning on the compounds of the morgues by the bereaved families are prohibited.
- Corpses should not be allowed into houses.
- Burial process should not exceed 2 hours.
6.There should not be more than 25 persons including mourners and sympathizers. - There should be no admission of any corpse into any church premises for burial services.
- Management of morgues are encouraged to schedule times for pick up of corpses to prevent over crowding and spread of the pandemic.
- Funeral celebrations should be postponed until ban is lifted per presidential directives.
” Persons who flout these directives would be prosecuted in line of the relevant laws”, the letter captured.
At the second session of the second general assembly at the assembly’s first (1st) ordinary meeting held on Wednesday, 31st March, 2021, at the Assembly Hall in Akyem Kukurantumi, the presiding member, Hon Asare Gyekye, in his early submissions causioned members to avoid mentioning names when informing public about the decisions taken by the assembly and also be guided by the principles of collective responsibility.
He further clarified that, the unconstitutionality raised by a member of the house on earlier measures by the MUSEC and executive committee on restrictions on private burials was in the right direction per order 21:3 of the existing rules and regulations.
In the same development, Honourable Gifty Twum-Ampofo, member of parliament of Abuakwa North and former deputy minister of education in charge of TVET, proposed to the august house that, the aforementioned directives are making it difficult for the constituents to burry their dead. She added that, the Akyem tribe honour their dead relatives with a lot of respect so it would be welcoming for the assembly to reverse it’s earlier decision but with strict adherence to the COVID 19 safety protocols.
The honourable member of parliament encouraged all to make adherence to the COVID 19 protocols a priority to help curb the spread.
In line with the assembly’s standing orders, Hon Asare Gyekye, called for a debate on the matter after which they arrived at a decision where corpses must be allowed to homes and church premises with strict adherence to the presidential directives and COVID 19 safety protocols within the municipality.
The Assembly has further tasked the zonal councils to inform the chiefs of their catchment areas after which a letter will be issued to that effect.
The Ag. municipal health director, Mrs Rebecca Dede Bantey, commended the Assembly for their commitment in fighting the pandemic and added that, the restrictions by the assembly helped a long way to curb the spread in the municipality.
She further admonished the assembly members to be ambassadors in the fight of the pandemic now that the restrictions are eased in the municipality.
Present at the session were, Honourable Gifty Twum-Ampofo, MP, Mr Asare Gyekye, PM, Mrs Ruth Woode, MCD, Honourable assembly members, government appointees, departmental heads, stakeholders, opinion leaders and the press.
Abuakwa North from January 1st, 2021 to March 31st, 2021 tested sixty seven (67) suspected COVID 19 cases of which twenty five (25) persons tested positive all the twenty five (25) persons have recovered living no active case with seven results pending. This was disclosed by the health directorate.
By// Nana Kwasi Asare.
Source// Nopras FM, Kukurantumi.
Obohnewsonline 