Daily Heritage December 15

Inside Dec 15.qxp_Layout 1 12/14/17 9:59 PM Page 6
Key facts about global sanitation
• 663 million people, one
in 10, lack access to safe
water.
• 2.4 billion people, one
in three, lack access to a toilet.
• Twice the population of
the United States lives without
access to safe water.
• A third of the global
population lives without access
to a toilet.
• More people have a mobile
phone than a toilet.
• The water crisis is the
number one global risk based
on impact to society (as a
measure of devastation), as
announced by the World
Economic Forum in January
2015.
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DAILY HERITAGE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2017
&Env.
New Juaben Health Directorate, heads
of SHSs meet over health challenges
BY KOJO ANSAH, NEW JUABEN
THE NEW Juaben
Municipal Directorate
of the
Ghana Health
Service last
Wednesday held a
meeting with heads of second
cycle institutions in the Municipality
to streamline collaboration
between the health directorate
and the schools for preventive
and swift healthcare delivery.
The meeting was held at the
back of recurring heath-related
problems recorded in some
SHSs in the municipality notoriously,
the meningitis case at Koforidua
Secondary Technical
(SECTEC) which claimed a life ,
and GHANASS food poison
case being examples.
The New Juaben Municipal
Health Director, Dr Ekow
Kaitoo, said the death of the
16-year-old student at
SECTEC was avoidable if he
had been sent to the hospital
early.
He said many recommendations
had been made to the
schools, key among them
being the establishment of
fully operational sick bays in
the schools; ensuring hygienic
environment, particularly
kitchens and dormitories; certifying
food vendors on campus;
ensuring effective
communication with heath directorate;
and promptly refering
suspicious cases to
hospitals.
• Dr Ekow Kaitoo, New Juaben Municipal
Health Director
Also, Mr Kaitoo
recommended for the
need to find ways to
decongest dormitories
since congestion creates
serious health issues.
He called on the
heads to collaborate
with the Municipal
Environmental Department
for periodic
fumigation exercises in
the schools.
Meanwhile, the
New Juaben Municipal
Director of Education,
Mr Kwame Ofori, has
said through the
DAILY HER-
ITAGE that schools
must made it compulsory
that as part of the admission
requirements every student
should have an active NHIA
card to enable them to get free
access to health care but for the
meantime, the heads must ensure
that NHIA officials visit
the schools to register all students
for parents to pay.
Mr Ofori said most schools
spent huge sums out of their
limited funds to pay for medical
bills of students whose parents
are reluctant to reimburse the
schools, hence the delay in sending
students to hospitals.
Meanwhile, the Health Directorate
has also renewed ties with
the media to ensure that accurate
information is put out to
the public not to create fear and
panic.
Second-hand fridges dangerous – Energy Commission
AN ASSOCIATE Programmes
Officer and Media Relations Director
for the Energy Commission,
Mr Samuel Frimpong, has
said Ghanaians must reduce their
insatiable taste for second-hand
fridges because they pose the
health hazards.
According to him, some of
these second-hand fridges are
used for laboratory purposes in
the countries where they are
manufactured.
Speaking on Accra FM, yesterday,
he said the Energy Commission
has blocked all the loopholes
at the entry points to ensure that
these fridges are no longer
brought into the country.
Mr Frimpong noted that laboratory
tools and other gadgets are
stored in these fridges, hence
storing food in them will result in
many health complications.
“This raises health concerns
and it is one of the reasons why
•Mr Frimpong says second-hand fridges had been used in
laboratories in other countries
the Commission is advocating the
use of brand new fridges with
yellow labels on them,” Mr Frimpong
stated.
“You can trust that these
brand new
fridges with
the Commission’s
label
are safe for
Ghanaians. Some people
talk about the cost
of purchasing brand
new fridges, they claim
it is expensive as compared
to the secondhand
ones.
“But when you compare, you
will realise the difference is just
small and, so, let us try as much
as possible to procure the brand
new fridges that will ensure energy
efficiency and also protect
your health.”