Tema, May 17, GNA – Sscores of residents have called on the Metropolitan Authority to fumigate the communities to eradicate the rodent population and other harmful insects at the markets, shops, and restaurants and residential areas.
The residents in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Tema said the presence of some rodents including rats threatened their health and property.
They added that the rodents and other harmful pests had created discomfort as “we fear some might carry diseases from one point to the other” saying, the last fumigation was in 2020 at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
They believed regular disinfection of the market spaces, public sitting areas, and public toilets among others was a major way of eradicating the pests and rodents.
They also claimed that the irregular collection of accumulated refuse served as a major breeding ground and feeding centre.
Mr. Emmanuel Tagoe a shop attendant at Community One Market said the rats were chubby but smart and it was difficult to kill them.
“We live with them in our communities, because the place is crowded, they always have places to hide, it is heartbreaking how they enter the rooms to eat food and destroy things,” Mrs. Judith Akpai a resident said
Ms. Ophelia Tetteh, a beautician said “the rats have the ability and strength to create holes into our shops, they can chew the wood to have access to the shop, once they enter you are in trouble, they chew anything on sight because most of the things here are not edible, what is here are relaxer creams and others.
“I have bought a lot of pesticides to get rid of those around but it’s becoming difficult, the rats are fast and I don’t know if they hear our plans for them, there should be quarterly disinfection to get rid of them.”
The residents especially traders appealed to the Tema Metropolitan Authority to fumigate the community, especially the markets twice quarterly to reduce the population of rats and other harmful pests.
Meanwhile, the TMA had rolled out a Public Health Education campaign including one-on-one engagement with food vendors to educate them on food safety.
Mr. Wisdom Aditse, TMA Head of the Environmental Health Department said the Public Health Education Campaign would also involve the use of a public address system and information vehicles to go around the educate the public.
“We want to constantly ensure the safety of the food vendors dish out to the public, we don’t want people to go and buy contaminated food or consume any food prepared under unhygienic conditions and environment,” Mr. Aditse told the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Tema.
“When we talk of food safety it’s right from the farm, location of the farm, source of water for the plants, how it’s transported from the farm, how it’s sold at the market, how it is cooked and served to the consumer,” he added.
The TMA Head of the Environmental Health Department indicated that a task force by the Assembly was always checking on issues related to food hygiene saying that, the intensive sensitization and education were also, to increase knowledge of food vendors on food hygiene and safety.
GNA