Credit: Kekeli K. Blamey
The Central Regional Environmental Health Office has issued a warning to families who lose loved ones to cholera, urging them to bury the deceased immediately to prevent the spread of the disease.
According to Mr. Emmanuel Owusu Ashia, Regional Environmental Health Officer in charge of Hygiene Promotion, the bodies of cholera victims are highly infectious and can lead to an epidemic if not handled properly.
Ashia emphasized the importance of swift burial, stating that families should not wait for weeks before laying their loved ones to rest. Instead, they should contact environmental health officers to assist with the disinfection of the body before burial.
This warning comes as Cape Coast records six confirmed cases and two suspected cases of cholera, with all patients receiving treatment at the Cape Coast Metro Hospital.
Ashia cautioned that cholera is a deadly disease and urged the public to practice frequent handwashing and consume only treated water to prevent infection.
Meanwhile, the Cape Coast Metro Director of Health Services, Mr. Samuel Kwabena Ofosu, has clarified that there have been no cholera-related deaths in Cape Coast, contrary to speculation by some media outlets.
Ofosu assured that the Directorate is committed to fighting the outbreak and has constituted five teams to educate and sensitize communities, conduct disinfections, and undertake contact tracing.
The teams are working to control the disease quickly to prevent it from spreading beyond their capacity.
