The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Prof Samuel Kaba Akoriyea has directed all Regional Directors to ensure that fees are not charged for use of toilets in health facilities.
This is contained in a circular dated April 16 sighted by 3news.
“Our attention has been drawn to the charging of fees at Ghana Health Service facilities. It must be noted that the washrooms are an integral part of the hospital infrastructure intended to provide comfort for patients and visitors and should not be used as avenues for exploitation,” Prof Samuel Kaba Akoriyea wrote in the circular.
“The washrooms must at all times be kept clean and comfortable to prevent the risk of infection, improve perception of patient care quality and increase patient satisfaction,” he stressed.
“Regional Directors arc accordingly requested to ensure that this practice ceases with immediate effect. Failure by facility heads to adhere to this directive will attract sanctions. Kindly bring this to the notice of all heads of facilities for strict compliance,” Prof Akoriyea directed.
In another development, the Greater Accra Regional Health Directorate is urging stronger public messaging and the promotion of hygienic practices across communities to prevent the spread of cholera as the rains set in.
The onset of the rainy season often brings with it a heightened risk of waterborne diseases, particularly cholera.
Flooding contaminates water sources with sewage and waste, creating the perfect conditions for the bacteria that cause cholera to spread.
Ghana recorded its first cholera case in the Greater Accra Region through contaminated food—raising fresh concerns as the rains approach.
