The Member of Parliament for Wa Central has expressed disappointment in President Nana Akufo Addo for continuously ignoring the issue of CSM in the Upper West Region.
Cerebrospinal meningitis has claimed 40 lives in the past 13 weeks with over 400 cases, a situation Dr Rashid pelpuo says needs national attention.
“It hurts so much when the lives of people are disregarded and the people disrespected in their own country.” he noted
“President Nana Addo ignores Upper West Region but finds reason to console President Buhari for the lost of his Chief of Staff and the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson for contracting the COVID 19 disease.”
The former Minister of State further added that he was expecting the President of Ghana to take a trip to the region to commensurate with the people and take concrete steps to ameliorate the pain the people were going through.
Earlier in Parliament Dr Pelpuo through a formal statement drew the attention of Government about the effect of the disease in the Region and the lack of urgency with which the Ministry of Health is tackling the problem.
Apparently being frustrated about the continuous silence and lack of support he had also written an open letter to the president .“I am writing to you today because of the loud silence and lack of expeditious action over the devastating CSM infection in the Upper West Region”.
According to the Ghana Health Service,the Upper West Region started recording sporadic cases in February 2020, and has seen a rise in cases in recent times especially in the past two weeks.
Meningitis is an acute febrile illness, involving covering of the brain and spinal cord (meninges).
It is characterised by fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, neck stiffness, altered consciousness, convulsions, coma.
Meningitis is endemic in Ghana and is prevalent particularly in the northern parts of the country.