Greater Accra leads cholera infection

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.