Bodomase (Ash), Dec 29, GNA - A call has gone to the Sekyere East District Health management Team (DHMT) to take immediate steps to address the onchocerciasis problem as well as other water-related diseases at Bodomase near Kumawu.

Mr Micah Asare-Bediako, Head of Administration at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi, who made the call, said the lack of potable water for the people on the Kumawu area in general led to the recent outbreak of cholera resulting in deaths. In addition, he said, the onchocerciasis situation in the town was getting serious and its eradication must therefore be tackled with all the seriousness it deserved.

Mr Asare-Bediako was speaking at the inauguration of the 1982 School Leavers Association at Bodomase on Christmas Day. He expressed concern about the poor state of the two junior secondary schools in the town, the poor lighting system and the deplorable condition of the town's post office. Mr Asare-Bediako, who is the President of the association, said he had held discussions with some colleagues in London when he went there for a course recently, which had led to the opening of a computer training school for the town.

He called on the chief of Bodomase to institute an education fund, which will help improve upon the poor performance of pupils at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the town and pledged one million cedis as seed money to start the fund. Mr Asare-Bediako advised the people to register with the National Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in their own interest. Opanin Kwaku Antwi, a retired educationist and life patron of the association, asked the affluent among them to assist their less fortunate colleagues in the association.

He asked those working on the district's Mutual Health Insurance Scheme to speed up work pointing out that it was taking too long to provide those who had paid their premiums to be issued with their identity cards.

The nine-member executive has Mr Kwame Opoku as the vice-president with Mr Atta Gyasi, secretary, with Miss Doris Amankwaa as financial controller, Mr Bismark Basoah, treasurer, Miss Yaa Akomea, organiser, Mr Robert Sarpong, welfare officer and Mr Anthony Agyare, public relations officer.