[ 2014-08-19 ]

Gov't squeezes cash from Ebola fund to fight Cholera
Health Minister Kweku Agyemang-Mensah says
government has had to squeeze money from the Ebola
fund to fight the cholera endemic.

President John Mahama only last week ordered the
release of six million cedis to augment the fight
against Ebola.

The president instructed that part of the money be
used to purchase 10,000 additional Personal
Protective Equipment (PPEs) to ensure the safety
of frontline workers who may come into contact
with the disease should an incident be recorded in
Ghana.

The president in announcing the release of the
money also called for immediate steps to be taken
to secure an insurance policy for health workers
who may be infected with the virus whilst
providing service(s) to affected patients.

In spite of the release, health workers are
complaining about the in adequate protective
equipment at the various hospitals.

Members of the Ghana Medical Association have also
protested Ghana's seeming lack of preparedness to
fight the Ebola scourge if it breaks out in
Ghana.

In spite of these challenges, the Health Minister
told Joy News government has had to take monies
from the Ebola fund to fight the cholera endemic
which has now killed 45 people in the country.

Ashanti Region recorded its first cholera death,
Monday, Joy News has learnt.

Health Minister Dr Kweku Agyemang-Mensah expressed
his disappointment over the number of cholera
deaths which he described as "preventable
deaths".

He called for the implementation of the sanitation
bye-laws and suggested that "area boys" should be
used to arrest persons who defecate
indiscriminately.

When Joy News' Seth Kwame Boateng asked if there
is a fund set aside to fight the cholera, as has
been done to the fight against Ebola, the minister
said no.

"We can take some out of this [Ebola Fund] for
cholera.

"We don't have [a cholera fund]. The point is that
Cholera, Ebola, they are [all] life threatening.
So we have to squeeze something from Ebola to
fight Cholera," he admitted.

Source - MyjoyOnline

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