Head porters and truck pushers at risk of contracting coronavirus

Regional news for Thursday 11 February 2021

Source: GNA

2021-02-11

Head porters, truck and wheelbarrow pushers operating in the Sunyani central business district (CBD) are vulnerable people, at high risk for coronavirus disease.

Their activities, if not verified and monitored, could easily trigger the spread of the viral disease in the municipality and thwart the nation’s efforts to flatten the COVID-19 curve.

While their services were essential as they helped sellers and buyers as well as travelers with transporting their loads and luggage, they felt neglected in the national fight against COVID-19.

These vulnerable young men and women, brought together by the Ghana News Agency ((GNA), migrated from the north of the country in search of greener pastures in order to improve their socio-economic livelihoods.

But, they are at serious risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19 among them as they slept together in droves outside shops, abandoned and dilapidated structures at the CBD.

During a visit to the CBD on Wednesday, these vulnerable young people, numbering around 100, were seen in the street of the main VRA-Sunyani station holding their work tools (wheelbarrows and trucks).

They were patiently seated and chatting on the flower bed at the front of Twene Amanfo High and Technical School, waiting to render services to people for a fee.

Virtually none of them were wearing masks or face masks, but few had alcohol-based hand sanitizer, when the GNA approached and interacted with them.

At first, they were very reluctant to open up, until this reporter persuaded them to understand that he was working to pursue their best interests and general well-being.

When asked why they don’t wear a nasal mask to protect themselves and those around them from contracting COVID-19, many of them said they couldn’t afford to buy masks .

“We rent a wheelbarrow for GH ¢ 15 per day, but since business these days is not good, we can even afford to pay the owners. If you don’t pay them, you are bankrupt the next day,” Abubakar Siedu, 22, said a wheelbarrow pusher who said he migrated from Bongo in the Haut-Est region.

Fatima Salamatu, a 19-year-old teenage mother and chief potter, explained that some of her clients used to buy her nasal mask and hand sanitizers, but she feared many of them had stopped to use his services.

When interacting with them, the GNA brought together most of these vulnerable people who had little knowledge about COVID-19, its spread, symptoms and prevention.