The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has called on the government to urgently include the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu in the inter-ministerial committee, set up to address the damages caused by the Akosombo dam spillage.
According to GMA, there are a lot of diseases that could be borne out of these floods hence, the need to have a health representative in the committee.
The Association further explained that health personnel will play a major role in the relief efforts and restoration journey for the flood victims and this will need a body that can easily push a large force of health workers to render help.
“The GMA welcomes the formation of an Inter-ministerial Committee to address the flooding and related issues. We have noted the exclusion of the Minister of Health from this Committee even though the Ministry of Health will play a central role in relief efforts.
"The provision of emergency healthcare and support, prevention of possible outbreaks of water-borne diseases, risk communication and ensuring continuity of essential health services are fundamental to a response of this nature.
"We therefore call on the government to immediately include the Minister of Health as a matter of urgency,” the GMA stated in a press release copied to GhanaWeb.
The medical association also assured the victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage and all Ghanaians their continued support by providing resources to help in relocating some displaced victims.
“The Association is mobilizing our members, logistics and other resources to support relief efforts
in the affected communities and will continue to monitor the situation.”
The Volta River Authority (VRA) initiated its controlled spillage of the Akosombo and Kpong Dams on September 15, 2023, due to the consistent rise in water level upstream of the Akosombo Dam primarily caused by rainfall.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in this regard, has set up an inter-ministerial committee to coordinate the government's response to the victims who have had their flooded after the exercise.
As announced by the Ministry of Information in a statement, the committee headed by the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, the committee will consist of various ministries and government entities to address the impact of the flooding.
The composition of the committee is as follows: Chief of Staff – Chairperson, Ministers for National Security, Interior, Defence, Sanitation, Energy and Finance, Lands and Natural Resources
The committee will also have the Ministers for Local Government, Works and Housing, Roads and Highways, Environment and Information.
The committee is expected to work collaboratively to assess the situation, identify the most pressing needs, and implement measures to mitigate the impact of the flooding on affected residents.
Read the full statement below:
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Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu