Ada east: The Ada East Environmental Health Department, in collaboration with the Ada East District Hospital, has conducted a mass burial for eight unidentified bodies to improve community sanitation and protect public health.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Joshua Manab, the District Environmental Health Officer, stated that the exercise was essential due to the prolonged storage of some bodies in the hospital mortuary, with some cases dating back over 15 years. He warned that such delays posed serious environmental and health risks. Mr. Manab clarified that unidentified bodies are those not claimed by relatives or where required documentation is incomplete. These often include victims of accidents and natural deaths at the hospital.
He further explained that before bodies are deemed unidentified, the police conduct investigations, make announcements, and publish notices to trace families. If these efforts are unsuccessful, the bodies are disposed of through mass burial. During the burial exercise, the Ghana News Agency observed that the condition of the eight bodies was so degraded it was impossible to distinguish between males and females.
Mr. Manab expressed concern over the government's lack of financial support for mass burials, highlighting that the responsibility often falls on the department with minimal logistical aid. He also pointed out staffing issues, noting that of the 10 environmental health officers in Ada East, only three are field officers, with the rest serving as office staff. This staffing imbalance hampers fieldwork efficiency, yet the government continues to express dissatisfaction with their performance.
He emphasized the plight of many trained environmental health graduates who remain unemployed despite the service's staff shortages. Mr. Manab outlined additional challenges, such as the lack of transport for moving bodies, insufficient supplies like washing chemicals, and inadequate support for properly sanitizing vehicles such as ambulances after use.
He added that the conditions at the district hospital mortuary, including unpleasant odors and poorly preserved bodies, stemmed from these systemic issues. Mr. Manab urged the government to urgently intervene by providing adequate financial and logistical support and recruiting more environmental health officers to ensure effective sanitation and mortuary management in the district.
