STMA sets up emergency management committee on ebola, cholera

The Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly at the weekend constituted a Public Health Emergency Management Committee (PHEMC) to help the assembly effectively manage communicable diseases including cholera and Ebola.

The multi-sectoral committee is made up of doctors, public health nurses, personnel from some of the security agencies, media and some technical and non-technical staff from the Metro Health Directorate. Captain (Rtd) Anthony Cudjoe, Metropolitan Chief Executive, said the cholera outbreak has become more dreadful as it was killing people more quickly than the ebola virus.

He entreated the Ghanaians to stop the indiscriminate dumping of refuse.

The Metropolis had recorded over 37 cases of suspected cholera with nine confirmed cases.

Ms. Joyce Bagina, the Metropolitan Health Director, said the committee would work to increase public awareness on the diseases, educate all the inhabitants on proper hand washing, and would fumigate all public places of convenience, refuse dumps and drains.

The Health Directorate would also train all hospital staff in case management and carry out intensive public education on the assembly’s bye-laws regarding the handling of food.