Health officials on alert to avert disease outbreaks in flood-hit regions – Info. Ministry

The government has said that efforts are underway to safeguard the health of residents in flood-affected communities.

The Deputy Minister for Information, Fatimatu Abubakar, made this known at a presser on Tuesday, October 24.

“We have the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service ensuring that we don’t have any disease outbreaks and provide primary care to the people,” she said.

She assured that health officials from the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health have already been deployed to the affected regions.

According to her, these measures are part of a broader response strategy to address the flood crisis stemming from the dam spillage.

Already, a 13-member interministerial committee has been established to manage the flood situation.

She stressed that the government’s top priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of communities affected by this crisis.

The controlled spillage from the Akosombo and Kpong Dams, initiated on September 15, 2023, became necessary due to heavy rainfall in the Volta River catchment, causing a rapid rise in the water level in the Akosombo Dam.

This measure was taken to prevent overtopping and to protect the dam’s integrity.

As of early October, the water level continued to rise rapidly, surpassing the maximum operating level of 276 feet.

Consequently, the VRA increased the spill rate from October 9, 2023, flooding several communities in the North, South, and Central Tongu District and the Ada East District.

Throughout this period, high-level members of the VRA and the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) have been present in the affected areas, assessing the impact of the spill and providing relief items alongside educational outreach on safety in the communities.

The VRA and NADMO have been evacuating affected individuals to safe havens on higher ground, ensuring their safety during this challenging time.