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The First Lady, Mrs Lordina Mahama, has expressed concern over frequent outbreak of cholera every year describing it as unacceptable.

She said cholera could be avoided by keeping the environment clean and ensuring personal hygiene and, therefore, it was unacceptable to have cholera outbreak which claimed hundreds of lives.

Mrs Mahama, therefore, urged the public to observe personal hygiene and environmental cleanliness to avoid cholera outbreak in the country this year.  

Presentation
The first lady expressed the concern when the Lordina Foundation, presented medical supplies to the Usher Polyclinic at Jamestown in Accra last Tuesday. 

The foundation made a similar donation to the Mamprobi Polyclinic at Mamprobi in Accra at a separate ceremony. 

The items included gloves, gauze, breathing circuits, swabs, oral care kits, tubes, towels, stabilisers, syringes and masks.

So far, about 20 hospitals in the Northern, Central, Western, Volta and Brong Ahafo regions have benefited from the Lordina Foundation’s medical supplies and equipment aimed at supporting the activities of health facilities.

The donations are also being made as part of the foundation's medical outreach for district and community-based health facilities to enhance health care.

Supporting govt
Mrs Mahama said the growing urban environments should not affect the traditional norms of keeping the environment clean which was taught by parents and leaders in the community some years ago.

Touching on the presentation, she said the donations were specifically to resource selected health facilities and health workers to enable them to carry out their health assignments effectively in their communities. 

She said the donations were also aimed at supporting the government’s efforts of  attaining its vision of ensuring quality and universal health care.

Mrs Mahama said her foundation would continue to support the government as it built new hospitals and equipped and expanded existing ones to improve health care.

Appeal
The Greater Accra Regional Health Director, Dr Linda Van Otoo, who received the items on behalf of the various hospitals, appealed to the First Lady to add her voice to the Ghana Health Service sensitsation programme on maternal health and adolescent health.

She said most women still reported to the hospital late during pregnancy, while others delayed at home when they were due for delivery.

On adolescent health, she said teenage pregnancy was on the rise with young girls as young as 10 years giving birth.

She advised the residents of Jamestown and its environs to stop open defecation and keep their surroundings clean.

While expressing appreciation to the First Lady for the presentation, Dr Van Otoo appealed to her to provide the Usher Hospital with an ambulance and also help to rebuild the Jamestown Maternity Home.

The Member of Parliament for the Odododiodio Constituency, Nii Lante Vanderpuiye, advised the public to change their attitude towards sanitation to ensure a cholera-free country.