57 years as a country: Cholera outbreak worsening in Ghana’s capital

There is no sign of the cholera outbreak going away soon in the Greater Accra Region, as cases of the disease reported at health facilities increase each day.

It is estimated that more than 6,000 cholera cases have been reported in the region since its outbreak this year.

Out of the number, the Korle-Bu Polyclinic and the La General Hospital alone have recorded 2,156 cases.

That is in spite of the educational campaigns to sensitise the public to the disease and how to they can avoid contracting it.

Korle-Bu Polyclinic

At the Korle-Bu Polyclinic, 1,154 cases with 13 deaths have been recorded since the first case was reported about 10 weeks ago.

The hospital’s OPD and corridors have been converted into cholera bays, while an abandoned car park has also been converted into a male cholera bay and 25 cholera patients have been moved there.

Plastic chairs, wheelchairs and benches are now being used as improvised hospital beds for cholera patients

Health workers at the facility are over-stretched and nurses who are supposed to close at 3p.m. now stay till 8p.m.

About three of the nurses are currently on admission as a result of stress.

The acting head of the polyclinic, Dr Gerhard Ofori-Amankwah, told the Daily Graphic that the polyclinic was ensuring that cholera patients did not infect others.

La General Hospital

At the La General Hospital, the Senior Health Service Administrator, Mr Philip Afeti Korto, said the hospital had recorded 1,002 cases of cholera with 12 deaths as of yesterday, Monday,  August 25, 2014.

He wondered what else needed to be done to get the public to appreciate the seriousness of the outbreak after the vigorous educational campaign in the area and said, for instance, at the weekend, 88 new cases were recorded.

Mr Korto advised the public to boil their water before drinking it if they were unsure of its source and also avoid eating cold food or buying food on the street to avoid contracting the disease.