The government under the directive of Ghana Health Service (GHS) as a matter of urgency must carry out a national fumigation program in all the affected communities from the Akosombo spillage along the Volta lake banks and Island settlements to fight any outbreak of epidemic and water born diseases; in other to sustain the gains GHS have achieved in prevention and care from water born disease.
There is a need for vaccination and immunization of children in these areas to help protect and prevent any communicable disease outbreak among children in these affected areas.
The Member of Parliament for Agotime Ziope Hon. Charles Kwasi Agbeve, who is also a member of the health committee in parliament, discloses this on Adekye Mu Nsem’s morning show on Ahotor 92.3 FM in Accra hosted by Citizen Kofi Owusu.
He said the urgent response from Volta Regional Health Directorate, Ghana Health Service (GHS) to declare the affected areas as a health emergency zone was paramount and has helped the team to contain and control any epidemic that may break out. He said, there is also a need for dispatching more health personnel to the area to contain and treat more people who will need any curative health assistance.
Hon. Charles Kwasi Agbeve is of the view that the most essential the displaced people needs now is clean water for drinking and cocking. He opined that the water along the area now is polluted, and as water is life, there is a need for a constant supply of drinking water to the affected communities.
He reiterated that, though people are still locked down in the Island communities, he said they are fortunate to receive water purifiers from companies and pharmaceutical companies that; they use to distill the contaminated water before using it for cocking and drinking.
He is of the view that there is a need for public education on general health screening and resettlement plans for the displaced people to help ensure the integrity of their buildings and other health-related issues if the water is ceded.
Hon. Charles Kwasi Agbeve opined that common water-borne diseases such as malaria, fever, elephantiasis, and dysentery have to be contained so as not to spread if there is an outbreak of any epidemic.
He further calls for extra care for hypertension patients in this havoc else their health situation will lead to loss of lives.
He express thanks to companies individual philanthropist and Ghanaians who have run to their call in this disaster that have affected about six regions throughout the country. And call on the good people of Ghana to extend hands to other affected people in other regions.
Hon. Charles Kwasi Agbeve, decry the delay from the state in responding to the plight of the affected communities suffering from the spillage from the Akosombo dam.
Story by: AYM Kukah. E: mail. kukahalexander7@mail.com