Greater Accra leads cholera infection March 22, 2011

Accra, March 22, GNA – Out of the recorded 4, 586 cases and 64 deaths recorded from the cholera outbreak in the country since September 2010, the Greater Accra Region is leading with 2, 756 cases and 31 deaths.

This had been attributed to the high rate of filth generated in Accra coupled with the perennial flooding and the sale of contaminated food in the city.

Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, Minister of Health who was addressing the media after an inspection of some health facilities where some patients are on admission in Accra on Tuesday, cited the Upper East, Eastern and the Central regions as the other regions which had been hit by the epidemic.

He asked people who suspected that they were catching the infection to seek early treatment since treatment is free.

“I urge people who have started exhibiting the signs and symptoms of cholera to report as early as possible to all government health facilities for early treatment since it is free of charge. it has been detected most of those who die from it were the result from delays in seeking treatment,” he said.

He said the Ministry of Health had made available enough logistics and medication to some health facilities such as the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Adabraka and Maamobi Polyclinics to handle the epidemic and urged nurses to be cautious in treating infected persons.

At the Maamobi Polyclinic, Dr mrs Mildred Kummassah, who is the Medical Director in charge, said eight cases and four deaths had been recorded by the Polyclinic since 25th January 2010.

She expressed concern about the high rate at which people were encroaching on the polyclinic’s land and urged government to come to their aid.

“We also sometimes experience power fluctuations which had in some cases got our machines broken down because we do not have a reliable transformer,” she said.

At the Dworwulu Special School, mrs Veronica Sackey, Headmistress, said the School had recorded seven cases and one death since the disease was first detected on March 19, 2010.

“The first case was detected when a student who had visited the home returned. she died on the same day from diarrhoea,” she explained.

She said the school had sent all infected persons to hospital and had taken stock of large quantity of anti diarrhea drugs.

It had also improved the sanitary conditions of the school in order to stop the disease from spreading.