Organisers Ensure Health Security at Former Veeps Funeral

It will be ironic and incredibly sad for someone attending a funeral to return home either sick, wounded or ice-cold just like the one who was bided farewell.

For this not to happen, organisers of the late former Vice President Kwesi Amissah Arthur’s funeral ensured that all was put in place to guarantee health safety of attendees.

Though safety measures were guaranteed, health professionals say, funeral attendees must properly prepare before gracing such occasions.

According to the Acting Regional Manager for the Greater Accra Red Cross, Madam Catherine Adasu, funeral attendees must do well to eat before reaching the venue and further carry a bottle of water to accompany them through the day.

“There were people looking for water because the sun was scorching but we could not see any water stand. It could happen that the environment you are going, you can’t get water to buy,” she noted.

Madam Adasu further advised that attendees do not stand under the blazing sun for long. This she said could speed dehydration, abate blood circulation and further cause an individual to faint.

The National Ambulance Service (NAS) had collaborated squarely with the Ghana Red Cross Society to skilfully manage all forms of emergency that may arise at the funeral.

Though both health delivery services were well armed in anticipation of a heavy turn-out, only a handful of emergencies were encountered.

Emergencies

“A young man fell into a drain, twisted his legs and collapsed in the process…he was in pain…we put him in the ambulance and per the assessment there was no need to take him to the hospital,” madam Adasu told the PUBLISHER.

There were also persons who had reported minor cases of headaches, stomach aches and the like; They were examined and given medications.

One Ambulance?

Looking at the situation surrounding the Veep’s death, many would have expected a reasonable number of ambulances at the venue but just one ambulance was made available.

Health persons at the venue said one ambulance was not enough but they could not do much because of its scarcity.

The lack of ambulances in the country has been an issue―stalling Ghana’s progress in giving to its citizens, proper and comprehensive health care.

The campaign for government to procure more ambulances has since been rekindled following the death of the former Veep.

Former Vice President, Mr. Kwesi Amissah Arthur is reported to have been thrown into a pick-up bucket since there was no ambulance to convey him to the hospital after he collapsed and eventually died on June 29, 2018.

By: Grace Ablewor Sogbey/ [email protected]