Environmental Health threatens to sue 9 gov agencies …over human excreta

By: Isaac Akwetey-Okunor, Koforidua

The Director of the Eastern Regional Environmental Health Department, Mr. Robert Adu Inkumaah, has threatened to drag nine government departments in the region before court, over unattended human excreta on their premises.

This follows the inability of the heads of these departments to restore a broken down septic tank, leading to human excreta oozing out on their premises, with its accompanying stench.

The stench that emanates from the premises of the three storey building, which is the first to see when using the ministry through the regional library road, leaves much to be desired, and poses a serious health threat to users of the library.

The situation, if not addressed immediately, could possibly lead to a cholera outbreak, since school children of the Ascension Presbyterian Cluster of Schools eat from the many food joints dotted along that area.

The situation has compounded the seemingly challenges of users of the area, as they either have to detour, or use handkerchiefs to cover their mouth and noses in an attempt when passing nearby.

The nine agencies are the Information Services Department (ISD), Custome division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), Lands Commission Survey and Mapping Division, and Births and Deaths Registry among others.

Issuing the threat during a press briefing on the cholera situation in the Eastern Region last Friday, Mr. Inkumsah said the commitment of his office to have the situation solved at departmental levels had fallen on death ears, as heads of the departments had shown a lackadaisical attitude.

According to him, the situation started somewhere in January this year, when he accordingly issued a warning letter to the heads of the departments, asking them to address the situation, but nothing, hence the court action.

Touching on the cholera situation in the region, the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Ebenezer Okletey Teilarbi, called on residents in the region to inculcate personal hygiene to help prevent the infection.

So far, a total of 338 cases of cholera, with three deaths, have been recorded in nine districts in the region, as at May 2, 2012.

The districts are Akuapem North, South, Birim Central, Kwaebibirem, Kwahu East, Lower Manya, New Juaben, Suhum Kraboa Coaltar, and West Akyem.

Though the Regional Coordinating Council, in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service, measures such as the provision of health awareness and logistics to halt the infection in the region had been mapped out, the Deputy Minister said, and called on the media to be ambassadors on the dangers of the disease.