Cholera kills six people in Gomoa East District

Gomoa Obuase (C/R), April 2, GNA - Forty-one cases of cholera has been reported in the Gomoa East District with six deaths. Mr Benjamin Dadson, District Disease Control Officer who announced this to newsmen at Gomoa Obuase near Agona Swedru in the Central Region said the deaths occurred due to late reporting of patients at health facilities.

He said due to prudent measures put in place by the District Health Directorate, the District Assembly and non-governmental organisations the disease had been contained. Mr Dadson said the Health Directorate trained community volunteers to assist health personnel to educate the people on the disease. Better Ghana Management Service, a local NGO also dispatched health promoting officers to the field to promote education on the epidemic.

The Disease Control Officer said health personnel in the district were retrained by the District Health Management Team whilst the 13 health facilities in the district were provided with drugs and logistics for prompt management of the disease. Mr Dadson commended the District Director of Ghana Health Service, Mr Wilberforce Adade, the National Disaster Management Organisation and the District Assembly for their prompt action in taking measures to contain the disease. He said only four environmental health officers were operating in the district and appealed to the authorities to augment the number. Mr Kingsley Ahunu-Armah, District Chief Executive appealed to the people to observe personal and environmental sanitation to avoid infection of the disease.

In a related development, Dr Yaw Ofori Yeboah, Gomoa West District Director of Ghana Health Service has advised people in the district to pay attention to personal hygiene and environmental cleanliness to avoid contact with cholera and other insanitary related diseases.

He said fortunately the district had not recorded any cholera case but was quick to say that that should not make them complacent. Dr Ofori Yeboah said since the surrounding districts had been affected with the disease, it enjoined them to be on their guard. He said the Health Management Team had put in place measures to contain the disease as soon as it was detected and appealed to the people not to take things for granted. 2 April 11