The Upper East Region has recorded its first cholera death from the Kassena-Nankana West District.

With an initial two cholera cases from Bol­gatanga in September 2014, cases in the region have risen to 45 by Mon­day, October 6, with cases coming from the Bolgatan­ga and Kassena-Nankana Municipalities and Kasse­na-Nankana West District.

Although the rate of increase of cholera cases is becoming alarming in the region, people's attitude towards personal hygiene and that of their immedi­ate environment has not changed.

People are still defecat­ing into open gutters and spaces, while garbage keeps piling up at most dumping sites.

There is on-going Ghana Health Service (GHS) sponsored education, on the preven­tion of cholera and first aid intervention, on the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) station in Bolgatan­ga.

Dr Abdul-Razak Dokurugu, a Medical Superin­tendent at the Regional Hospital in Bolgatanga, has on many occasions through the media called for a concerted effort to help fight the epidemic.

Daily Guide's obser­vation has revealed that the regional hospital's reaction towards the treat­ment of emergency cases has not improved much since June this year.

Patients are seen wait­ing for long hours till their folders are produced from a heap of other folders before being attended to. 

Again, patients who are accompanied to the hospital by their relatives would have to show proof of their ability to pay the medical bills before they are seen to.

This pertains in almost all major health facilities in the region, and obvi­ously fits in the scheme of operation in the country's healthcare system which rates 'ability to pay' above all situations.