KIA PCR test demo: Hear Akufo-Addo out first and stop being ‘unrealistic’ – Ayew Afriyie tells NDC MPs

He explained in a post on his Facebook wall that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is yet to speak on the situation – hence, their threat to picket at the airport is “not realistic”.

“Why not wait and listen to the President before you decide to embark on a demonstration or call the Minister of Health to the committee to answer any grievance or further questions?” a portion of his post reads.

He continued by saying, “I have no idea of what the President has up his sleeves for us on Sunday. I advise the public to disregard the call for demonstrations and give the President the opportunity to speak first on Sunday the 27th of March.”

This follows calls by some NDC MPs to make the mandatory COVID-19 testing at the Airport free.

According to Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House, the government must accompany the re-opening of the land borders with the removal of the costs for KIA testing.

“In as much as I welcome this development [the expected opening of land borders], it is inadequate. We want to see a complete reversal; a complete rollback [of the fees].”

The MP for North Tongu addressing the Media in Parliament said, “We want to serve notice that if by next week, the government does not reverse the fees . . . we are going to talk. Series of actions including public action, public manifestation and picketing at the airport until that fleecing going on at the airport is reversed.”

Read Below Dr Ayew’s Facebook post

MINORITY THREAT OF DEMO ON AIPORT TESTING IS NOT REALISTIC.

While I think the minority is taking advantage of the news that the president will issue new covid directives on Sunday 27th March, their threat to demonstrate is not realistic.

Why not wait and listen to the president before you decide to embark on a demonstration or call the minister of health to the committee to answer any grievance or further questions.

I have no idea of what the president has up his sleeves for us on Sunday. I advise the public to disregard the call for demonstrations and give the president the opportunity to speak first on Sunday the 27th of March.

I DISAGREE WITH THE MINORITY & WHY WE CANT DO AWAY WITH AIRPORT TESTING FOR NOW, BUT RATHER CONSIDER PRICE REDUCTION:

1. There is no new evidence that fully vaccinated persons are covid free

2. Antigen is quick, max 10mins.

3. Many antigen equipment have sensitivity and specificity values well improved and close to PCR, especially wrt specificity values( ie the probability that, a negative test is truly negative )

4. Ghana records rising levels of covid new cases, especially after Christmas and Summer vacation. ( Ref GHS covid data). Here people move from more prevalent areas move to our country where the prevalence is on the lower side. Also, there are more social gatherings during this period.

5. Summer is yet to come and we are likely to have more people from the west coming for holidays in Ghana. With this uncertainty, I will never recommend KIA testing to be abolished until one cycle is over ie summer and winter come in by 2022 without any surge in covid new cases.

Nana Ayew Afriye Dr. MP

{ Chairman- Health Committee}