Dam Spillage: GMA Calls for Health Minister’s Inclusion in Committee

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has called on the government to include the Minister for Health, Hon Kwaku Agyeman-Manu in the 13-member committee set up to steer the government’s response to victims of the dam spillage in the Volta Region and beyond.

In a statement, the Association welcomed the establishment of the Committee but decried the absence of Minister of Health, whose addition, the group said was critical to the situation.

“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.”

In defence of their argument, the GMA said, “the provision of emergency healthcare and support, prevention of possible outbreaks of water-borne diseases, risk communication and ensuring continuity of essential health services are fundamental to a response of this nature”.

“We therefore call on the government to immediately include the Minster of Health as a matter of urgency. 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 GMA further called for better coordination between the Volta River Authority (VRA), National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) and other relevant government agencies to prevent such disasters in the future.

A spillage exercise by the Volta River Authority (VRA) has caused flooding to districts such as South Tongu, Central Tongu, North Tongu, Shai Osudoku, Anlo, Ada East and Asuogyaman.

The situation has led to the displacement of many communities, destruction of property, loss of livelihoods and disruption of healthcare and other critical services in some parts of the Volta Region, the Greater Accra Region and the Eastern Region.

On Friday, October 13, the government announced a 13-member committee to coordinate the government’s response to the situation.

Headed by the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei Opare, it includes the Minister for National Security, Kan Dapaah, the Minister for Interior, Ambrose Dery, the Minister for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, the Minister for Energy, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori Atta, the Minister for Local Government, Dan Botwe and the Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso Boakye.

The rest are the Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwaku Amoako Atta, the Minister for Environment, Kwaku Afriyie, the Minister for Sanitation, Freda Prempeh, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor and the Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.