At least one person has died from meningitis while another diagnosed of the disease is receiving treatment at the Bolgatanga Regional hospital in the Upper East Region.
The female deceased, aged 80, was diagnosed with Streptococcus Pneumonia Meningitis at the Tongo district hospital in the Talensi District.
She was later referred to the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital for higher treatment but died on Monday, March 2, 2020.
However, the other female patient also diagnosed with the disease is currently responding to treatment.
Speaking to Citi News, Acting Medical Director of the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital, Dr. Samuel Aborah said, residents should not panic about the situation, as it is under control.
“An 80-year-old woman from Talensi district was presented to the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital. In the course of the review and from the assessment and investigations, the client was confirmed of Streptococcus Pneumonia meningitis.”
“So, we started treatment, however in spite of all the treatments as required by the protocol as was started, the client could not make it and passed on, on March 2, 2020. At the female medical ward, we have another case of a female confirmed of Streptococcus Pneumonia meningitis but the patient is responding to treatment. Residents in the Upper East Region should not panic; they should remain calm because this is not a meningitis outbreak. It is just one of the cases we get during the meningitis season which we are in. Some respond to the meningitis treatment while others are not able to respond to treatment.”
Dr. Aborah also allayed fears of an outbreak of the disease in the region and admonished residents exhibiting signs of meningitis to report early to the nearest health care for treatment.
“We appealed to residents in the region to adhere to meningitis preventive measures which include avoiding overcrowding and ensure proper ventilation, good sanitation and personal hygiene and drink a lot of water.”
“We are no closer to any meningitis outbreak in the region because the outbreak is determined by the number of cases per the population within an area. For example, if for a population of 100,000 you get 10 cases of meningitis per week then it means there is an outbreak but if it is less than that, is not an outbreak.”
Dr. Aborah entreated residents with severe headache, stiffness of the neck, vomiting, fever, malaria, body pains among others to report early to the nearest health facility for treatment.