In spite of what appears to be a quick response by health authorities to the plight of residents of Asuboi in the Offinso Municipality of Ashanti, who are plagued by river blindness, the people will have to wait till November to receive medical attention.
An estimated 70 percent of residents are reported to be affected by the disease.
Municipal Health Director for Offinso, Francis Osei says the directorate will need enough time to mobilize resources and also sensitize residents on the control of the disease. He explains that his outfit will ensure every resident is covered under the treatment.
Mr. Osei commended the media; especially the Multimedia Group for bringing the plight of the people to public attention.
Officials of the Ghana Health Service and some disease control agencies visited Asuboi over the weekend after a failed bid to reach the community on Friday due to the poor nature of roads in the area.
A three-member team from the National Onchocerciasis Control Program, World Vision and the Neglected Tropical Disease Control Unit was at Asuboi Saturday to get first hand information following Joy News reports on the river blindness situation.
The Onchocerciasis Program has made available some drugs and also promised funds will be released to facilitate the exercise at Asuboi.
A heavy downpour last week worsened the already precarious situation, grounding many vehicles that attempted to traverse the muddy stretches of the main road.
Two journalists, Nhyira FM’s, Ohemeng Tawiah and a TV3 cameramen were among a group of reporters following the story and got seriously injured when a motor bike on which they were travelling together with the Assemblyman for the area, crushed.
The media team had been compelled by the muddy and slippery surface to abandon their official vehicle at a point to continue on the motorbike.
Parents of a 7-month old sick baby were among several passengers whose vehicles had been grounded in the mud.
Poor RoadsAn estimated 70 percent of residents are reported to be affected by the disease.
Municipal Health Director for Offinso, Francis Osei says the directorate will need enough time to mobilize resources and also sensitize residents on the control of the disease. He explains that his outfit will ensure every resident is covered under the treatment.
Mr. Osei commended the media; especially the Multimedia Group for bringing the plight of the people to public attention.
Officials of the Ghana Health Service and some disease control agencies visited Asuboi over the weekend after a failed bid to reach the community on Friday due to the poor nature of roads in the area.
A three-member team from the National Onchocerciasis Control Program, World Vision and the Neglected Tropical Disease Control Unit was at Asuboi Saturday to get first hand information following Joy News reports on the river blindness situation.
The Onchocerciasis Program has made available some drugs and also promised funds will be released to facilitate the exercise at Asuboi.
A heavy downpour last week worsened the already precarious situation, grounding many vehicles that attempted to traverse the muddy stretches of the main road.
Two journalists, Nhyira FM’s, Ohemeng Tawiah and a TV3 cameramen were among a group of reporters following the story and got seriously injured when a motor bike on which they were travelling together with the Assemblyman for the area, crushed.
The media team had been compelled by the muddy and slippery surface to abandon their official vehicle at a point to continue on the motorbike.
Parents of a 7-month old sick baby were among several passengers whose vehicles had been grounded in the mud.
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| 'One, two, threeeeeee! Push, push... the vehicle must move' is the clarion call. | |
There were too few vehicles prepared to cart their foodstuffs to the market.
The few lucky ones to get the farm produce on to a couple of KIA trucks ended up engaging in energy-draining exercises to pull the trucks out of the mud in which they got grounded. They pushed, pulled and gathered stones to facilitate their passage.
Frustrated, some even got political, swearing never again to engage in any voting exercises only to be neglected.
The Offinso Municipal Assembly says it has devised some strategies, including the provision of a clinic to deal with the health needs confronting residents of Asuboi.
Municipal Chief Executive, Victor Amponsah, told Ohemeng Tawiah that the assembly was soon to start construction work on the Abofuor-Asuboi road to make the area accessible to health personnel and also mechanize the only bore hole in the community for residents.
The assembly has contracted the Vector Control Unit of the sanitation company, Zoom Lion, to spray the two rivers in the area, Subin and Nkyereade as an immediate step to fight the black flies responding for the river blindness disease.
Story and photos by Ohemeng Tawiah, Nhyira Fm-Kumasi
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