The Member of Parliament for Lambussie in the Upper West Region, Hon. Prof. Titus Beyuo, has donated essential medical supplies and consumables worth GHS 55,000 to the Lambussie Health Directorate to aid in the fight against the outbreak of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM).
The donated items include 8,000 face masks, 40 thermometers, 100 vials of ceftriaxone, 100 spinal needles, 5 liters of alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and 2,000 pieces of hand gloves.
During the presentation on Friday, February 21, Hon. Prof. Beyuo commended the health directorate and frontline workers for their efforts in fighting CSM, despite limited resources. He acknowledged the pressing challenges they face, including shortages of spinal needles, essential medications, and personal protective equipment (PPE).
“I want to commend the health workers in Lambussie District for the job so far. If you look at the case count as indicated by the District Director of Health Service and the fact that we have only two medical doctors here attending to a population of about 51,000 people, they have done their very best to ensure that we haven’t had more mortalities.”
He reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the health sector, emphasizing that the well-being of his constituents remains a top priority.
At the time of the donation, 11 suspected CSM cases had been recorded in the Lambussie District, with one fatality and another patient currently receiving treatment.
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Hon. Prof. Beyuo urged community members, particularly traditional leaders, to adopt safer practices, such as improved handling of the deceased, reducing large gatherings, and seeking medical attention at the earliest symptoms of CSM.
“Let me also use this opportunity to appeal to our traditional leaders, our elders, that some of our practices must change around this time. When we have an outbreak like this, it calls for a change in behavior. The burial of the dead, how we organize our funerals, and people out of hospitals when a diagnosis has been made will not help us. This is a disease that is contagious. It can move from one person to the other, and so we need to take the advice of the health service around this time.”
He assured residents that with the availability of free treatment and medical supplies for CSM, there is no reason for delayed healthcare access.
“I’m also aware that the treatment has been declared free, so no one with the symptoms should stay at home, and to say that the current variant we are dealing with is quite fatal. It doesn’t waste time in clearing its victims, so it means that when you get it or you have the symptoms, don’t sit at home; get to the hospital.”
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The District Director of Health Service, Mr. Bin-eranaa Jerdu Nuhu, expressed profound gratitude for the timely intervention, stating that the donation directly addresses their immediate needs.
He pledged that the CSM supplies would be used effectively to contain the outbreak and called on other benevolent individuals and organizations to support the fight against meningitis in the district.
