A 16-year-old boy who contracted Pneumococcal Meningitis in the Western Region is responding to treatment, the Regional Health Director, Dr. Emmanuel Tenkorang has told Citi News.
According to Dr. Tenkorang, the case recorded in the region was contracted from neighboring Ivory Coast and is closely being monitored at the Essam Government Hospital at Sefwi Essam in the Bia West District of the Western Region.
[contextly_sidebar id=”sCLIUjTYqMtvxCiJoEMu0o4dSk6GaGNl”]He noted that the 477 health facilities in the region were put on red alert as far back as September last year, adding that enough antibiotics are already in stock throughout the region to deal with any other case which might be recorded.
He urged the public to observe safety precautions and desist from causing fear and panic in the region as one case cannot be referred to as an outbreak in the region.
“The Western Region recorded over 70 cases of Pneumococcal Meningitis last year yet the systems in place already were able to deal with it. We have recorded only one case but people are protracting it and causing fear and panic among the populace.
“The threshold we have set for ourselves before it can be said to be an outbreak is not yet reached in the region and so people must not panic as we have the systems in place to deal with it in the region deal with it,” Dr. Tenkorang explained.
He insisted that although there has been an outbreak of the disease as a result of the rising temperatures in 7 regions in the country “it will create fear and panic amongst the people if we are to carry on such checks at places like bus stations and large gatherings as we did for Ebola.”
“People must only ensure that there is proper ventilation at places where a lot of people are found,” he advised.
So far, the outbreak, which is almost nationwide has killed nearly 40 people with several cases also reported.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Prof. Fred Binka, says the outbreak has reached an epidemic status.
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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana