The Upper East Regional Director of Health services Dr. Kofi Issah has adviced the Ghanaians particularly those in the region to take enough fluids and avoid overcrowding to prevent being infected with Cerebrum Spinal Meningitis (CSM).
In an interview with Citi News in Bolgatanga, Dr. Issah debunked reports that, two students in Bawku died from Cerebrum spinal meningitis (CSM).
He said, “One died at home and One died at the hospital. With the one who died at the hospital when we conducted preliminary test it showed that, he died from one of the meningitis organisms which the sample has been sent to Tamale for a confirmatory test.”
“But the one who died in the house people will use the symptoms to tell the cause of death so if he’s been buried then it end there otherwise we have to take substance from him to test in order to ascertain the cause of death.”
He stated that, the Bawku hospital has recorded about Thirty One(31) suspected CSM cases from January to 25th March 2017.
Dr. Issah has admonished residents of the Upper East Region to take a lot of fluids, avoid overcrowding and sleep in well ventilated rooms to prevent further transmission of the disease.
“The Upper East Region lies in the Meningitis belt, it means that every year you should expect cases of meningitis. That is why we(health personnel) will advice that, people should cover the mouth and nose when sneezing into a crowd and all public places should be well ventilated.
The weather too is dried so people should drink a lot of fluids(water) and organic fruits to keep the throat wet because of the dust during this time when you don’t take enough fluids, the throat get dried which then leads to cracks within the throat and when one coughs, the meningitis organism is released and transmitted” Dr. Issah stated.
Dr. Issah hinted that, the Navrongo and Bawku health directorates will soon engage the Navrongo and Bawku prison officers and prisoners’ on alternative ways to improve ventilation and best health practices during the meningitis season to avert any epidemic.
“we can only mitigate the effects of CSM until such a time that, as a society we decide to change our form of housing, modify our social and cultural gatherings knowing how the meningitis organisms spreads.”
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
