By: Problyn J. Alpha
Community stakeholders and facility management committee members at different peripheral Health Unit (PHU) centres in the Pujehun district, have expressed dissatisfaction over the persistent destruction of Bats infestation that has almost damaged health centres across towns and villages in their respective chiefdom.
The report further disclosed that twenty-seven (27) peripheral health unit centres in Pujehun are currently been disturbed by the influx of harmful insects like Mosquitoes, cockroaches, bed boxes and bats destroying the roof of the various PHUs invading Pujehun District.
Fatmata Sheriff is in charge of the Sahun Kpaka Community Health Centre in Kpapa Chiefdom, Pujehun District. When talking to our correspondent, she explained that their operations have been seriously disturbed by the harmful insects and bats.
Fatmata Sheriff further maintained that, before this time, they used to have a veterinary control officer in charge of the environment from the Pujehun District Health management team who was charged with the responsibility of spraying the infectious harmful insects to minimize their destruction.
This according to her was done in consonant with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, but the department has not been functioning for years, Madam Fatmata Sheriff stated.
Shortage of important drugs, lack of security, porter and cleaner are some of the other challenges the Kpaka health centre is faced with. She however called on the government through the Ministry of Health and sanitation for their prompt intervention to address the said challenges.
Michael A. Fullah is the housing and veterinary control officer in Pujehun District when talking to our correspondent said that he was receiving support from the Ministry of Health and Sanitation to spray the insects in various communities to prevent them from causing destruction but noted that he has not been receiving support from the Ministry of Health and Sanitation since 2019 to date.
“ I have Requested Many times to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation through the principal superintendent of environmental health but little or no action has been taken to fund my department and I cannot fund myself to buy the necessary materials because they are very expensive”, Michael A. Fullah opined.
The veterinary control officer further intimated this medium that the Ministry of Health and Sanitation always confirms that the Government is not allocating the budget to support the sector as usual. Mr. Fullah however assured the residents of Pujehun that his department will start effective operations when the government starts funding their activities.