CMS fire: MoH downplays health impact on residents

The Health Ministry has downplayed the impact of the raging fire at the country’s biggest drug warehouse on health of Tema residents.

Residents living around the Central Medical Stores at Tema have raised fears of health risks due to the smoke from the fire-ravaged warehouse.

They are complaining about difficulties in breathing and excessive coughing.

Chief Director of the Ministry, Dr. Sylvester Anemana said the smoke would not have any significant impact on the health of residents in Tema.

“All of us here are at risk, we are all at enormous risk...I don’t think it is going to make any significant or special impact to that particular area,” Dr. Anemana said at a Press briefing.

But Dr. Michael Kudjoe of the New Crystal Medical Center has advised affected residents to immediately seek medical care.

“Air pollutions could cause environmental health conditions like upper respiratory tract infection and inhalational injuries so it is possible that people around who inhaled could later on have those injuries”.

“If you look at the warehouse that got burnt, most of them are chemicals and every drug is a chemical so the chemical component that got burnt would be inhaled in various quantities, so I would suggest that those having difficulty in breathing should visit the nearest hospitals where they can have proper check-up,” Kudjoe told Starr News in an interview.