Regional News of Wednesday, 18 February 2004

Source: GNA

Environmental Health Officers should reintroduce house inspections

Dalun, (N/R), Feb. 18, GNA - Mr Alhassan Baako, Tolon/ Kumbungu District Chief Executive has appealed to environmental health officers to reintroduce the old practice of regular house to house inspections in the communities to instil discipline and good sanitation values amongst the people.

He said households found to be living in unhygienic conditions should be made to face disciplinary action.

Mr Baako, said this when he launched this year's District Sanitation Week at Dalun in the Tolon/Kumbungu District on Tuesday. The Week was organised by the District Assembly and sponsored by UNICEF.

Mr Baako said such stern measures would help prevent the spread of diseases such as malaria, cholera and typhoid fever and also ensure that monies spent at the hospitals would be used for other purposes.

Mr Baako announced that as part of measures to improve upon sanitation the assembly would construct four pilot incinerators for the Tolon, Kumbungu, Nyankala and Dalun communities.

The DCE said some sanitary plastic containers would also be provided for some schools, markets and lorry parks to provide a clean environment adding that this would not be achieved if the people did not change their attitude of indiscriminate dumping of waste and refuse.

He said the assembly was to construct some KVIPs and boreholes as well as small town water systems with funding from the HIPC relief and AFD projects in some communities this year.

Mr Osman Alodel-Rahman, Programme Officer of the Ghana Danish Community Project, an NGO based at Dalun, appealed to community leaders and health workers to educate families and the communities on the need to observe personal hygiene and environmental sanitation.

He said Dalun was a centre for the reception of many visitors from within the country and abroad and there was therefore the need to impress it upon the people to keep their environment clean in order to attract tourist.

Mr Awudu Abdul-Razak, District Environmental Health Officer, appealed to the people to fully cooperate with his staff in the discharge of their duties to keep the environment clean.