Include Health Minister on Inter-Ministerial committee on dam spillage – GMA

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has urged key stakeholders to step up efforts toward providing relief to communities affected by the Volta dam spillage.

The association, in a statement on Monday, expressed deep sympathy and commiserated with the victims affected by the flood.

It thanked medical and paramedical staff who have been providing relief services to households affected by the disaster.

The association lauded the initiative of the government to set up an inter-ministerial committee overseeing the flooding issues. It, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the exclusion of the Health Minister, Hon. Kwaku Agyeman Manu, from the committee.

The statement read in part as follows: “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 health care and support, prevention of possible outbreak of water-borne diseases, risk communication and ensuring continuity in essential health services are fundamental to a response of this nature. We therefore call on the government to include the Minister of Health as a matter of urgency.”

The GMA disclosed further that it is readying its members to provide the necessary support to the flood 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 statement added.

The association also appealed to corporate organisations to support the relief efforts while urging “better coordination between the Volta River Authority, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and other relevant government agencies to prevent such disasters in the future.”