Medical officers to accompany Hajj pilgrims – Health Minister
Medical officers have been assigned to accompany Ghanaians who would undertake pilgrimage to Mecca this year.
The move is aimed at averting the possibility of any pilgrim contracting the deadly coronavirus in the Middle East.
This was made known by Ms Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Health during a tour of some three immunisation centres in Accra on Thursday, where immunisation against measles/rubella was taken place.
The centres visited included the Mamprobi Polyclinic, the Ablekuma South Metro Office and the St Martin’s Preparatory and Junior High School, all centres at Chorkor in the Greater Accra Region.
Briefing the media after the tour, Ms Ayittey noted that the measles/rubella immunisation is organised in order to curtail the occurrence of the disease in the country.
“Although, we have not recorded any death from rubella yet… it is proper for us to take precautionary measures against it”, she said.
She expressed satisfaction with the rate at which parents had ensured the immunisation of their children and called on them to endeavour to immunise all their babies against the deadly six killer diseases.
She urged parents who are not be able to immunise their children after the stipulated 10 days to visit nearest polyclinics for the exercise.
Dr Ebenezer Appiah- Denkyira, Director General, Ghana Health Service, said due to continuous immunisation, Ghana has been able to record zero per cent for measles.
“In the 1980’s, about 3,000 deaths could be recorded yearly among children from measles contraction only,” he added.
Mr Gordon Sackey-Mensah, a parent who brought his baby for immunisation at the Mamprobi Polyclinic, appealed to fathers to emulate his example when their wives are not available to do so.
Rubella commonly known as German measles is an infection that primarily affects the skin and lymph nodes and is caused by the rubella virus (not the same virus that causes measles).
It is usually transmitted by droplets from the nose or throat that others breathe and can also pass through a pregnant woman’s bloodstream to infect her unborn child.
Children, who are infected with rubella before birth, are at risk for growth retardation, mental retardation, malformations of the heart and eyes among other problems.
Source: GNA