As part of efforts to avert any possible outbreak of cholera in Maamobi, a suburb of Accra this rainy season, health officials in the area have started educating residents.
In an interview with Citi News, Principal Health Administrator at the Maamobi General Hospital, Charles Banafo, said the hospital is on the alert for any possible Cholera Outbreak.
[contextly_sidebar id=”jgBmJHTKbGirbx8YtfxUbeVmLjM2h8lP”]According to him, his outfit has put in place the right measures to ensure that they can contain an outbreak.
Mr. Charles Banafo said the necessary medications as well health professionals are on standby in case of an outbreak of Cholera.
“We have all the medicines and professionals ready, as we all know when we enter the rainy season, the public health education on the need to keep the surrounding clean is what we normally do.”
Mr. Banafo further revealed that some health officials from the Maamobi General Hospital had been engaging residents in the community on best practices during the rainy season to avoid any possible cholera outbreaks.
He also cautioned Ghanaians against improper ways of disposing refuse, adding that it could have dire consequences if not disposed off properly.
“…So there’s a need to put the faecal matter in the right places instead of disposing into gutters and behind people’s homes. We are on the alert, and if there’s any cholera situation, we should be able to contain it.”
Background
Maamobi is a densely populated suburb of Accra; it was also one of the worst-hit areas during a major cholera outbreak in the country in 2013 where 13 people died, and 600 more were hospitalized.
In May this year, the Ghana Health Service issued an alert over a potential outbreak of cholera in the country.
Dr. Anthony Nsiah-Asare, said with the onset of the rainy season and other prevailing conditions in the country, the possibility of a cholera outbreak was high.
In 2014, a total of 28,975 cholera cases with 243 deaths were reported from 130 out of the 216 districts in all ten regions of Ghana, according to the GHS.
In 2015, 618 cases were recorded with five deaths.
In 2016, more than 150 cholera cases were recorded in the Central Region with no known death recorded.
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By: Jude Mensa Duncan/citinewsroom.com/Ghana
