The Health Sector Environmental Health Practitioners Association–Ghana (HeSEHPAG) has expressed disappointment with conditions at the Korle-Bu Mortuary in Accra.
According to the Association, its National Executive Committee (NEC) was despondent when members watch the exposé on the deteriorating state of the facility coupled with bad working conditions for workers on GHOneTV.
GHOne TV in an exposé uncovered the deplorable conditions at the Korle-Bu Mortuary in Accra.
In the report, reporter Godwin Asediba filmed and exposed the bad working condition of workers and the terrible condition of the morgue for Ghana’s premier Hospital.
“The NEC would like to humbly call on the Management and the Board of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), the Hon. Minister, Ministry of Health (MoH), the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA), the Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency (MoFFA) and other key Stakeholders as a matter of urgency and with all seriousness it deserves to attend to the needs of the Morgue of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH),” the directed in a statement signed by its National Vice President, San. Samue Yaw Agyemang-Badu.
Mr. Agyemang-Badu called on all other healthcare facilities both public and private to ensure high standards of sanitation as well as free from public health or statutory nuisances.
He also told Authorities at Korle-Bu to avoid situations that pose a very high risk to the Mortuary Workers and the licensed Sanitarians (Environmental Health Officers), other Health Professionals, staff, clients, and the General Public.
“Also, the above leadership together with Medical Directors/Superintendents of various health facilities must seek to strictly enforce/implement the provisions of the HealthCare Waste Management Policy and Guidelines, Ministry of Health, 2020, as stated on page 26.
“The Environmental Health Officer shall be responsible for healthcare waste management and the sanitary conditions at the healthcare facility level” by recruiting and/or employing licensed Sanitarians (Environmental Health Officers) to every healthcare facility (both public and private) and adequately resource and empower these health professions to carry out their work effectively without any difficulties whatsoever.”
“NEC wishes to declare its support and willingness to work diligently with the Management and the Board of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), and all other Teaching Hospitals, Municipal and District Hospitals in achieving the Health for All goal in Ghana.”
Mr. Agyaman-Badu, however, encouraged GHOneTV to continue to support the work of the Mortuary Workers and the licensed Sanitarians (Environmental Health Officers) across the country.
“In order to ensure clean, serene, and conducive environment free of filth at all times, safe environment for human habitation, improve the standards of environmental health and sanitation in and around all public and private healthcare facilities, institutions/organizations, premises/households etc. in order to prevent environmentally and sanitation related diseases such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery, malaria and other infectious/communicable diseases in the country,” he added.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Isaac Dzidzoamenu
