Don't Be Ashamed To Reveal Your COVID-19 Positive Status - Mireku Duker To Ghanaians

George Mireku Duker, Member of Parliament (MP) for Tarkwa-Nsuaem constituency, has advised his fellow MPs and Ghanaians who have tested positive for COVID-19 to boldly reveal their status.

According to him, there is no shame in contracting the disease.

He noted that the populace revealing their test results will help kill the stigma that infected persons face in the country.

Hon. Mireku Duker said this while discussing the issue of some MPs testing positive and admonished by the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin to stay away from the precincts of the August House.

“Even in the House, some members are afflicted by the COVID-19. You may not know who the person is and because of the protocol issues of confidentiality, we are not disclosing those who are now COVID-19 victims. But we have some of us in that category.

“We arranged with the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research to use three days and the three days are over but I am reliably informed that a number of our members have not yet taken the opportunity to either do the screening or to even undergo the COVID-19 test.

“Honorable members, I humbly urge that you all take this opportunity seriously and go test by the end of today”, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin stated before the House on Tuesday, January 26, 2021.

''...some Members of Parliament who have in fact tested positive to the COVID are still coming to the chamber. Mr. Speaker wishes to inform that if those Members do not withdraw and isolate, he will be forced to publish the names of Members who have tested positive in order to warn the rest of us. Please, let's take this protocol seriously...'', the 2nd Speaker also informed the MPs on behalf of Hon. Bagbin.

Hon. Mireku Duker, during a panel discussion on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', held strongly that those who have tested positive for the disease shouldn't hide but disclose it publicly to curb the spread of the viral disease.

"Don't be ashamed if you contract the disease. Let your friend know. Let your people know that I have tested positive, so I have isolated myself . . . It's not a shameful disease. It's not a disease that we must be ashamed of," he said.