By Seth Danquah, GNA
Takoradi, July 19, GNA – Mr Dennis Jubin, Disease Surveillance Officer at the Western Regional Public Health Division, has hinted that his outfit has put up a rapid response team to conduct investigations into any cholera cases and manage the cases as they arise.
He also announced that they have sent test kits (cholera RDT) to all health facilities in the Region for quick detection of acute diarrhoea and tasked the facilities to keep an update their cholera epidemic plans.
Mr Jubin who gave the hint in an interview when the Ghana News Agency visited his outfit to find out about their preparedness to manage cholera incident should there be an outbreak, said the team put in place comprised of environmental health workers, lab technicians, public health/disease control officers, a medical officer and a public health nurse.
According to him, as the rains have started and with its attendant floods, together with other existing risk factors, the probability of cholera outbreak was very high, hence the need to put in place measures to control it should there be an outbreak.
He said all the districts have been entreated upon to strengthen diarrhoea disease surveillance and intensify laboratory investigations on suspected cholera cases, ensure that the districts health facilities used case definition to suspect and investigate cholera and other epidemic prone diarrhoea diseases, and update emergency preparedness and response plans on cholera and other diarrhoea diseases.
He further said his outfit had made the various districts to update their respective plans, mount public education on the prevention of cholera and diarrhoea diseases as well as engage and initiate advocacy dialogue with the water sector and other relevant institutions for access to safe water and improved sanitation.
Mr Jubin said the Division has also embarked on radio sensitization on the possibility of cholera outbreak and the need to guard against it as well as hold public health emergency management committee meeting to brief participants on the possible outbreak and how cases should be managed in case of an outbreak.
