Deputy Health Minister, Dr. Victor Bampoe has announced government’s preparedness to deal with any possible outbreak of cholera following the onset of the rainy season.
To assess the readiness of medical facilities in the capital to handle any potential cases of cholera, the Deputy Minister on Friday toured the La General Hospital, Ridge hospital and Adabraka polyclinic.
He was accompanied by the Director of Public Health of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Badu Sarkodie and the Director of Institutional Care, Dr Samuel Kabah.
[contextly_sidebar id=”9D893dd7gidN1KeAMxkBgHXgvUMRVPGS”]The team will also visit the Maamobi, Korle-Bu and Mamprobi polyclinics.
So far, five cases of cholera have been recorded but doctors have expressed fears that there could be more unreported cases.
Health officials say they are on high alert following the June 3 floods which has cut water supply to many communities within the capital.
The city has also been engulfed in filth and debris from the devastating floods.
In a post on his Facebook page, Dr. Bampoe said the Ministry of Health has put in place measures to minimize the effect of any potential cholera outbreak.
He indicated that the government has already procured large quantities of fluids, giving sets, PPEs and other logistics to be distributed to the facilities that usually manage cholera cases.
Government, Dr. Bmapoe said is also rehabilitating old wards in some hospitals and in some cases, building new ones for potential ‘overspill’ cases.
DANIDA is said to have provided significant funding for Ghana’s fight against cholera.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on its part has provided 4.5 tones of ‘diarrheal kits’ – fluids, giving sets, antibiotics to be distributed to the facilities
The European Union (EU) has, through the Ghana Red Cross Society, provided $600,000 for cholera.
According to the Deputy Health Minister, other donors including DFID, USAID, UNICEF and a host of others are supporting Ghana with significant contributions of logistics while other Ministries, Departments and Agencies are doing their part.
“At the Inter-ministerial meeting on cholera which I chaired last week, we were informed that the Ministry of Local Government is working with UNICEF on a WASH campaign and has also tasked its assemblies to produce and implement ‘cholera plans,” he disclosed.
Dr. Bampoe added that NADMO and the Ministry of Water Resources are supplying potable water to areas without water in Accra, and the Ministry of Communications will soon intensify education on preventing cholera.
He appealed to the general public to ensure “cholera a thing of the past.”
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @ osamidan