General News of Saturday, 19 May 2012

Source: GNA

Two dead as Cholera spreads in the Jomoro District

The Jomoro District Directorate of the Ghana Health Service has appealed passionately to government, benevolent societies and philanthropists to help acquire the necessary drugs to deal with the outbreak of cholera at Elubo area.

Madam Shallot Dankwa, Acting District Director of health, made the appeal at half Assini on Friday when addressing the newly formed district cholera Outbreak Rapid Respond Team.

According to her, the Cholera cases at the Elubo Health Centre has increased from 33 on May 12 to 110 on May 17 this year, adding that two persons have so far died.

She said 20 of the cases were brought from the Ivorian side of the border, adding that the outbreak was due to the pollution of the Tano River that serves as the drinking water for the people along it.

Madam Dankwa said drugs and other items for the treatment of cholera has ran out at Half Assini and a request sent to the Western Regional Central Store at Effia Nkwanta in Sekondi for drugs is yet to receive attention.

According to her, as at Friday when this story was being filed, the request has not been fulfilled and therefore appealed to individual and societies who can help to come to aid the directorate to deal the situation.

Meanwhile, the directorate has started an awareness creation and sensitization programme at the affected communities on the need to ensure environmental cleanliness and also urged them to boil their water before dinking it.**