Flood blues: Cholera case confirmed in Adabraka

Source: myjoyonline.com  -  Out of six diarrhea cases reported at the Adabraka Polyclinic in Accra, one has been confirmed to be cholera and the patient is said to be a survivor of the flood and fire disasters at Circle in Accra.

The reported cases have been linked to the insanitary conditions residents and survivors of the twin disasters have

been living in, seven days on.

Greater Accra Director of Health Services, Dr. Linda Van Otoo said three of the confirmed cases have been treated and discharged while three others remain on admission.

The patients are dehydrated. One case was found in Kwashieman while the others, including the cholera case, are from Odawna.

The cases are limited to the Adabraka area including the immediate community of the Goil filling station at Circle that exploded last Wednesday.

Joy News’ Francis Abban who visited the health center reported that access to the Out Patient Department of the Polyclinic has been restricted.

Cholera which is caused by insanitary condition claimed 150 lives last year and infected about 3,000 more.

A repeat of the outbreak is imminent following the devastating flood and fire disasters in Accra which led to 152 fatalities.

The situation is worsened by the fact that water has not been flowing through the Circle-Adabraka enclave over the past week.

The garbage and general filth swept there by the floods are still very much uncollected. Many are buying food by the road side from vendors whose source of water is suspicious.

Some of the items provided to the victims by government, NGOs and partners of Joy FM need to be cooked but with no clean water, people are forced to use unclean sources.

One resident shared his self-imposed hunger strike with Joy News. “Since morning I have not eaten anything because I don’t know where they got water to prepare the food”.

He said he heard of three people vomiting in the neighbourhood.

Ghana Water Company had promised on Sunday that water will flow through the taps on Monday. It is yet to flow on Thursday.

Head of Communications at the Ghana Water Company, Stanley Martey explained that one of their pipes in the area was washed away in the deadly floods.

Irregular power supply is also hampering efforts to push clean water through the pipes, he stated.