Four children are reported dead of rabies in the Suhum Municipality after they were bitten by dogs infected with the disease. This occurred in January this year.
As a result, the Suhum Municipal Health Directorate and the Veterinary Services have launched the 2014 Rabies Vaccination Exercise to immunize all dogs in the municipality.
The Suhum Municipal Health Director, Dr. Samuel Agyeman Boateng told Daily Heritage that, the Municipal Assembly has released some funds to carry out the exercise this year to prevent further deaths.
“As at now, 36 dog bite cases have been recorded with the victims receiving treatment, …the immunization of the pets are ongoing, we are expecting to complete the exercise before early next month,” he stated.
He, however, expressed regret over the deaths of the four persons, and urged all pet owners to engage in the ongoing vaccination exercise.
According to him pet owners are expected to pay a fee of four Cedis per pet to the officers in charge at the various centers to defray the cost of the vaccines.
He said the Municipal Information Service van has made announcement throughout the town to inform the pet owners to engage in the vaccine exercise, adding that, pet owners who refuse to join the exercise will be arrested and prosecuted.
The paper gathered that, for the past four years, no vaccination exercise had taken place in the Municipality due to financial constraints.
The Suhum Municipal Coordinating Director, Kudjo Dekpo told the paper that, the Assembly has given GH¢3,000.00 to the Municipal Health Directorate to finance the vaccination exercise this year.