Market women, trotro urged to observe health protocol

Market women and commercial vehicle operators within the Ablekuma North municipality have been urged to observe the various Coronavirus (COVID-19) protocol to help mitigate its spread.

The Municipal  Health Information  Officer at the Ablekuma  North  Municipal Health Directorate,  Wilson  Addai Asare Oyiadjo,  gave the  advice  on Thursday when NaaooNaa Foundation, a non-governmental  organisation  based in  Accra donated some Personal Protective  Equipment (PPE)  and Veronica buckets to the  Odorkor market and trotro  station.

According to Mr Oyiadjo, traders and customers without PPEs were not allowed into the markets and trotro stations stating that, “I have personally driven away some customers or forced them to buy nose masks before entering some markets within the municipality.”

“The face or nose masks have now become part of our clothing and we must ensure that we have them on whenever we step out,” he added.

He said that the municipal assembly had already initiated steps to fight the pandemic and had intensified its education and sensitisation drive within the municipality.

Mr Oyiadjo  said  though  the municipality had recorded  some cases, it was  necessary  for the   municipal assembly  and the health  directorate to  ensure that its citizenry adhere strictly to the protocol of  disease.

He said  most  markets and other businesses within the  municipality  were observing social distancing  with traders at Mallam market  running a  shift  system  explaining,  “The market women  have been given  cards to come to the market on  specific days all in  the bid to observe the COVID-19 protocol.”

He urged residents to continue to observe the protocol, especially the wearing of masks and frequent washing of hands.

 The founder of NaaooNaa foundation, Racheal Naa Darkoa Aryee, said the exercise was to contribute her quota to the fight against the disease.

She said the market and trotro station were essential parts of every community, hence the need to sensitise stakeholders on the disease.

She called on the market women and commercial drivers to live by the protocol and not stigmatise anyone who had recovered from the disease.

The foundation later shared hand sanitisers and nose masks to the market women as well as to the trotro drivers and their mates.