Environmental Officers in parts of the Eastern region use tricycles and mini trucks to convey Covid-19 bodies to cemeteries for burial due to the unavailability of the hearse.
The Environmental Health Officers Alliance Ghana (EHOAG) explained that because there is no hearse in the various assemblies, “we are always forced to hire long KIA vehicles or tricycles when the private hearse owners refuse to carry it which poses a health risk to the public since the owners refuse their vehicles to be disinfected rather collect monies for libation but later use them to carry foodstuffs to market places”.
The Environmental Health Officers Alliance Ghana said this as evidence of the numerous challenges they are facing in burying Covid-19 bodies due to government snubs to their demands.
The association has therefore threatened to suspend the burier of all covid-19 bodies in the country if they are not provided with the needed logistics.
The national president for EHOAG who also doubles as the acting district Environmental Health Officer for Denkyembour district in the Eastern region; Mr. Yaw Akwaa Lartey revealed to the media during the burier of two covid-19 bodies which add up to ten the number of Covid-19 bodies buried at Akwatia cemetery said, the government has refused to provide them with PPE’s and hearse in the various assemblies across the country to carry out their duties.
According to them, environmental officers despite playing key roles in the management of Covid-19 were discriminated against in the provision of incentives to health sector workers helping fight the pandemic.
He further added that under the health profession regulatory Act 2013, there are eighteen bodies including environmental health officers regulated by the Allied health professional council which falls under the ministry of health however Environmental Health Officers are always sidelined.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
