President Nana Akufo-Addo has said government has not ruled out evacuating Ghanaian students in China amid the coronavirus situation.
He told parliament while delivering the 2020 State of the Nation Address Thursday that government is in constant contact with experts on how to handle evacuating them.
The President said the advice at the moment is to contain the virus at its epicentre Wuhan in China.
However, if it becomes necessary to evacuate Ghanaian students there, it would be done, President Akufo-Addo promised.
He said government is supporting the students with supplies and monies.
He asked Parliamentarians to rally behind the government’s efforts in dealing with the students instead of causing panic on the matter.
The President’s comments follow a call by the Minority to urgently evacuate the over 4,000 Ghanaians, including students, trapped in China as the Asian country battles with the deadly coronavirus.
Nine days ago, the Minority in Parliament gave government a three-day ultimatum to evacuate Ghanaian students in Wuhan.
That did not happen.
Two days into the ultimatum, the Health Ministry said all consultations with regional bodies including the West African Health Organisation did not recommend evacuation.
As the President said, the Health Ministry and the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service Patrick Aboagye said the situation is being monitored and the students would be evacuated if necessary.
The Health Ministry, meanwhile, says the country is ready to deal with the virus if a case is discovered.
The death toll of the so-called COVID-19 has risen to over 2000, with many of its victims recorded in China where it first broke.
So far, only one case has been reported in Africa, with Egypt confirming a case last week.
However, Reuters, quoting the WHO, reports that the patient is recovering and “no longer a carrier” of the COVID-19.
