The Ghana Health Service has called for a ban on street vending in Accra as a measure to fighting the alarming cholera outbreak in the country.

Director General of the Ghana Health Service Dr Appiah Denkyira says environmental officers will be deployed to enforce the ban if it is imposed.

Such foods sold by the road side may either be destroyed and the sellers prosecuted, the Director General hinted.

It is a desperate measure to fight the cholera epidemic which has claimed over 90 lives with over 10,000 cases recorded across the country.

The nation's capital, Accra leads the pack with over 42 deaths and some 5000 recorded cases. Six other regions have also recorded cases and deaths.

Dr Appiah Denkyira told Joy News' Seth Kwame Boateng, the cholera epidemic is "getting out of hand but there is a way out."

The Service is also championing the ban on the use of plastic and other polythene bags in the country.

The new measures have attracted some criticisms by stakeholders.

Local Government expert George Kyei Baffour said a "wholesale banning of food vending is impossible."

He explained that people register with assemblies and have been given licenses as well as health certificates to sell under very hygienic conditions.

He wondered how such people would be included in a nationwide ban on food vending.

At any rate he said  a wholesale ban on food vending might just be misplaced and rather called on the various assemblies to strictly enforce the sanitation bye-laws in their various localities.

"We have challenges with general waste management across the county.

"We allow refuse to pile over a month and disease can erupt [as a result of that]" he maintained.

He was however impressed with the government institutions collaborating to resolve the cholera crisis.

 

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