The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has reaffirmed his commitment to addressing the unique health and infrastructural needs of Ghana’s Zongo communities, with a focus on culturally respectful facilities and improved health infrastructure.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Ghana National Muslims Conference in Accra on Sunday, October 27, Mahama outlined his plans to establish specialised facilities for managing the remains of deceased Muslims in accordance with Islamic burial rites and customs.
This initiative, Mahama emphasised, is a continuation of his 2020 promise to prioritise the dignity and needs of Muslim communities in his agenda for national development.
Mahama noted that his administration would work diligently to provide a facility specifically designed for the Islamic handling of the deceased, ensuring that burial processes align with Islamic religious standards.
In addition to the specialised mortuary facilities, Mahama disclosed plans to enhance health services in Zongo communities by equipping local health centres with modern medical resources and infrastructure.
He added that his government will collaborate with the private sector to build new abattoirs and upgrade existing ones to meet both World Health Organization (WHO) standards and halal requirements.
He noted that abattoirs in communities such as Tulaku would benefit from rehabilitation projects aimed at ensuring hygienic, efficient, and religiously compliant meat processing.
According to Mahama, this focus on halal standards will benefit not only Zongo residents but also Ghana’s larger Muslim community by ensuring that meat processing complies with religious expectations, enhancing food security and public health standards.
“We will follow our promise in 2020 to establish specialised places for the handling of bodies of Muslims who pass away in order that they are handled according to Islamic rights.
“We will also equip health facilities in Muslim communities with relevant health infrastructure and partner with the private sector to build new abattoirs in communities such as Tulaku and rehabilitate existing abattoirs to conform with World Health Organization standards and introduce halal standards in terms of handling meat and meat products.”