A legal practitioner, Yaw Oppong says government’s failure to provide public toilets is to blame for the current cholera outbreak in the capital.
‘’…it is a problem caused by the authorities either by their omission to do what they are supposed to do or by their own commission; because you can walk from here [Adabraka] to Accra Central and there is not one public toilet which is free,’’ he said.
According to him health and government officials should stop blaming the citizens entirely for the epidemic.
Lawyer Oppong added that Ghanaians will stop defecating in the open and drainages if the authorities provide basic amenities as well ensure every home has toilet and other sanitary facilities.
‘’…What do you expect the [people] to do when you don’t provide free public toilet facilities for use; what do they take our taxes for…’’ he quizzed.
Speaking on Citi FM’s News Analysis Programme, The Big Issue, Mr. Oppong said the state is largely to blame for the cholera outbreak. ‘’I have taken the position that I am no more going to blame myself when these things occur; let us blame the state.’’
He stated that, ‘’you don’t expect the person who earns about GHC2.00 a day to use about GHC 1.00 just to go to the washroom.’’
‘’When you travel outside, within the shortest possible distance there are public washrooms; even on highways, from here to Kumasi, can you get one public washroom…,’’ he fumed.
‘’If the state will not provide the appropriate facilities for people not to contract these diseases and for people not to obey laws, they should stop blaming us,’’ he concluded.
On his part the Editor of the Business Finder, Toma Amihere also suggested that tax all the food sellers properly to be able to provide ‘’more hygienic conditions and washrooms for the people.
‘’Those people [food sellers] are making very large profits and I think it is time the authorities force them to pay taxes; think it is time with this cholera outbreak government found a way to [tax them],’’ he said.
Toma noted that the monies collected from the food vendors can be used to provide the basic needs.
The Public Health Directorate of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) on Thursday told Citi News that the outbreak of cholera in the metropolis is gradually reaching an epidemic status.
Over 500 cases of cholera have so far been recorded in Accra alone between June and July which has caused the death of five people.
The assembly has been accused of supervising the indiscriminate disposal of waste in the capital, which has resulted in the outbreak of the disease.
He said: “We are heading towards an epidemic and that is why there is the need for us to rather focus on preventing the spread.”
By: Evans Effah/citifmonline.com/Ghana