[ 2014-08-31 ]

Cape Coast records cases of Cholera
Cape Coast, Aug. 30, GNA – A Cholera outbreak
has hit Cape Coast and its environs with fourteen
out of the 24 cases recorded between Tuesday and
Friday at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH),
testing positive.
However, one person was brought in dead and had
been released to the family for burial.

When the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited the
facility at about 17:00 hours on Friday, other
cases were awaiting confirmation.

Isolated tents had been mounted with medical
personnel wearing protected gear to manage the
disease, which broke out in Accra and other parts
of the country about four months ago and had
reached an alarming rate.

Mrs. Philomena Afful Mensah, the Disease Control
Officer at CCTH, told the GNA that majority of
patients who came to the facility were males with
the oldest being 68 and the youngest seven years.

She said many of the cases including the dead
person were brought in from Kotokuraba, the
business centre of the metropolis, and other
suburbs of Cape Coast.

She indicated that patients from surrounding towns
such as Ankaful, Moree, Ekon and Elmina, were also
being rushed there, since according to them, the
other hospitals had told them they did not have
adequate accommodation to handle their condition.

She said 10 patients had so far been treated and
discharged while samples of other patients had
been taken to the laboratory to be tested.

The Environmental Health Officer at CCTH, Mr.
William H. Quansah said, in order to prevent the
spread of the disease, vehicles that brought
patients to the hospital were disinfected whiles
the driver and relatives of the patients were made
to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and other
disinfectant before leaving.

He said some of them were given chemicals to
disinfect their houses and were also educated on
preventive measures.

Mr Quansah said before the dead body was released
to the family for burial, it was disinfected and
relatives were given some education on how to
handle the body.

He underscored the need for people to improve upon
their personal hygiene and ensure thorough hand
washing with soap and running water as well as
keeping their surroundings clean.

Source - GNA

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