STATEMENT BY VICE CHANCELLORS GHANA (VCG) ON THE COVID -19 PANDEMIC
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic facing the country and the world at large, Vice Chancellors Ghana, (VCG) - the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Public Universities in Ghana - commits to support the measures put in place by Government to combat the pandemic. To this end, all VCG member institutions have shut down in accordance with the Presidential directive.
VCG entreats all students and employees of Public Universities to commit themselves seriously to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health to curb the pandemic. We must be ambassadors of the basic principles of sanitization and hygiene in the family, the community and the country as a whole, to support Government to contain and eradicate this pandemic from the country.
VCG will continue to work with Government to ensure that the proposal to roll out a distance learning plan to keep students academically active during the period of the closure, is implemented effectively.
VCG acknowledges that this arrangement, though laudable under our current circumstances, may be fraught with some challenges particularly for students in remote communities in the country where there is limited internet access. We do however recognize the importance of rolling out this platform and continuing to build on it to achieve better outcomes. VCG would take account of the challenges faced by students and employees and make the necessary adjustments, including the revision of the academic calendar, if necessary, and in line with further Government directives.
VCG urges the research community of Ghana to harness its resources to contain this pandemic and collaborate to conduct research and develop systems to enhance Ghana’s epidemic and disaster preparedness and management. VCG would continue to explore and make appropriate submissions to government using all research facilities and research personnel as it becomes necessary, while supporting Government in every way possible in the effort to eradicate this pandemic from the country.
VCG commends the University of Ghana for its timely action to trace and successfully quarantine and subsequently test about eighty students who came into contact with an infected student on campus. This singular action of the University has averted a potential community spread of the virus. We therefore earnestly appeal to the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on COVID-19 to support the University of Ghana with the necessary finances and logistics to take care of these quarantined students, just as has been done for the returnees from outside the country.
Finally, VCG commends Government for the fumigation and disinfection exercise being carried out in markets across the country, and requests that the exercise be extended to cover all university campuses across the country to enhance hygiene and sanitisation on the campuses.
ISSUED BY VICE CHANCELLORS GHANA (VCG)
Sunday, 29th March 2020
