Former President and Flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama has pledged to establish another medical research center should he be voted again into power come December 2020.
According to him, the facility if built would have capacity like the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR) in the Northern part of Ghana as part of the Response Plan.
He stressed on the need to find strategic plans and investments that will address future pandemics should there occur to lessen its effects.
Former President Mahama mentioned this in his Facebook wall on Sunday 12th April 2020 as he calls for consensus efforts in dealing with the spread of the virus and any other future unforeseen disasters.
“While our minds are focused on fighting COVID-19, I would like to start a conversation about strategic plans and investments that will address future pandemics. As I have already suggested there is the need for a National Infectious Disease Response Plan that sets out the specific steps to be taken to prevent the entry of such diseases, quickly arrest them at a very early stage even if they do enter our shores and reduce their impact to the barest minimum”.
“I have previously stated that given the opportunity, I will ensure that we establish another medical research center with capacity like the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR) in the Northern part of Ghana as part of the Response Plan. Under the plan, we will double the bed capacity of the 37 military hospital and build an Infectious Diseases Centre there to cater to the Southern sector to help manage infections like Ebola and COVID-19.” He noted.
President Mahama since the outbreak of the disease in Ghana has on several occasions offered possible solutions and ideas to deal with the spread of the virus, of which many have been hailed by a cross-section of Ghanaians.
