The Ministry of Health using its General Medicine Mobile Van has visited Brohani to screen people of pneumoccocal meningitis and offer medical care.

The exercise is under the Ministry's National Medical Outreach Services.

The screening was prompted by the fact that the outbreak of Pneumococcal Meningitis in some parts of the country started in Brohani in the Tain District of Bono-Ahafo.

The screening was however, not centred on Pneumococcal Meningitis but all other disease conditions.

The Health Minister Alex Segbefia is on a two day visit to affected communities in Brong Ahafo, Ashanti and Northern regions suffering from the pneumoccocal meningitis .


The National Medical Outreach Service also known as Onuador, Akan for brotherly love was commissioned by President Mahama about three years ago.

It basically seeks to bridge the gap between the rural areas and quality healthcare which in most cases is easily accessible in the City Centers.

The Service currently has Mobile Hospitals for General Medicine, Dental and Optometry as well as other allied health facilities.

Prompted by the Pneumococcal Meningitis outbreak which started in Brohani, the General Medicine Van also called Ounador is in Brohani for the next three days at least, to screen the people and offer them quality health care.

The Team was led by the Bono-Ahafo Deputy Director of Health Services, in charge of Clinical Services Dr. Amo Kodieh.

In an interview he said the Minister of Health sanctioned the move to Brohani as the place where the first cases of Pneumococcal Meningitis was reported.

Thus they have come with Specialist Nurses and Doctors as well as allied health staff like laboratory Technicians and also the needed drugs to screen and treat the people.

The Officer in charge of the Mobile Hospital Van, Gaetin Adangabey revealed that in recent times they have visited Western, Ashanti, Central, Eastern and now Bono-Ahafo.

He said they hope to educate the people about Pneumococcal Meningitis and how they could avoid it.

The team set up at the local Health Centre where they joined forces with the resident health staff to do the business.

They set up makeshift OPD, a Laboratory, and a consulting room in the Van as well as a Pharmacy. Some of the Locals, who came in their numbers, spoke to the GBC.

They were elated with the visit of Onuador, the Mobile Hospital and called for more frequent visits.

After hours of work in the Van Dr. Amo Kodieh described the first day as quite hectic with a suspected case of Yellow Fever, which requires further investigation presented.

He also mentioned Anaemia, Malaria, Pelvic Inflammation Disease, Upper Respiratory Tract Infection and Urinary Tract Infection amongst others.



SOURCE:GBC