The Dean of Students’ Affairs of the University of Cape Coast, Professor Eugene Dartey has called for intensified nationwide education and campaign on COVID-19 to stop the spread of the virus particularly in schools.
According to him, people need to be educated more on the benefits and importance of protecting oneself and not let their guards down particularly this time that the cases continue to rise across the country.
Speaking on UCC’s campus-based radio, Prof. Dartey said there is the need to contextualize the Covid-19 campaign messages in order for students to readily accept them.
“We need to aggressively campaign and educate people on the benefits of wearing the mask. We need to put in messages and campaign which will appeal to people’s emotions and people’s mindset .
We have to sit down and have a conceited campaign, yes there are campaigns all over but we need to contextualize our campaign. This is University of Cape Coast, what would make people want to change.
The National campaigns are there but there are things that are peculiar to our university and we must ensure that whatever we put out there is tailor made and it’s conceptualized to fit our system. Education is up but you can have knowledge and still have low risk perception, ” he said.
He advised the student body to fully adhere to the Covid protocols in order to stay safe and minimize the spread.
“Affiliate of this University and all of us, should get more aggressive in dealing with this virus. The only way you can avoid getting it, is to adhere to the protocols that have been laid down. These protocols are quite a number and I believe that as we go along, it will be increasing but one of the most important things students of this University to do is the issue of maintaining social distancing.
We are not saying don’t hold your hands, we are not saying don’t hug but please this is not the time, we are not in normal times,” he noted.
On his part, the deputy director of the University of Cape Coast health services Dr. James Prah indicated that the virus is real and called for proper Covid-19 enforcement on the part of the lectures and the university management.
He said “It’s about enforcement and we need to set example from the top .I see the top people setting the examples very well, I mean, talking about the central administration. One of the areas we spend time together is in the lecture room and so if there is an area the enforcement must actually be improved, it is the lecture halls.
Our lecturers and those who handle the students should be insisting more and saying that this is what should be done. After all it is a university policy.”
