Highways Authority urged to rehabilitate Koforidua-Mamfi road

Mampong-Akuapem (E/R), Nov. 2, GNA - The Ghana Highways Authority (GHA), has been asked to rehabilitate the Koforidua-Mamfi road to facilit= ate the movement of vehicles and prevent motor accidents. Adequate road signs should also be provided, especially along the Ma= mfi Hill, to caution drivers about the dangerous nature of the route that had=

developed deep potholes. Mr Victor Doku, Akuapem North District Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), made the appeal at a durbar to climax activities marking World Disaster Reduction Week, at Mampong-Akuap= em on Friday. The week-long programme was organized by NADMO on the theme: "Hospitals, safe from disasters, reduce risk, protect health facilities, save lives". Mr Doku said the Asuoyaa and Yensusu bridges were too narrow and had=

developed serious cracks beneath, which required urgent repairs in view o= f heavy traffic on the road. Mr George Opare Addo, Akuapem North District Chief Executive, in a speech read on his behalf, urged NADMO to sensitise health workers in the=

district on effective ways of handling disaster situations. He called on individuals and organisations to support government to enforce bye-laws on disaster management. Mr Ransford Boakye, Eastern Regional Co-ordinator of NADMO, explaine= d that the programme was aimed at protecting patients and health workers in=

the event of disasters by ensuring structural resilience of health facilities. He said it was also to ensure the functioning of health facilities a= nd provision of health services after emergencies and disasters, and to impr= ove risk reduction and emergency management capacity of health workers and institutions. Mr Boakye called for "re-engineering of health facilities so that th= ey can withstand emergencies or disasters of any kind." Dr Joseph Kwadwo Opare, the District Director of Health Services, called on political leaders, health workers and the public to collectivel= y ensure effective management of disasters and emergencies at hospitals.