Appiatse Explosion: Victims will suffer long term-effects

Dr Kofi Issah, the Director, Family Health Division, Ghana Health Service (GHS), says some victims of the Appiatse explosion will suffer from the health effects caused by the explosion in the coming years.

“The blast will definitely have a long-term effect. Today, somebody might tell you I am quite okay, then five years down the line notices that there is something very odd about him, and then remembers there was small shrapnel, which lodged somewhere in his body during the explosion.

“We often heard our grandfathers say that somebody returned from the Second World War and never realised that a bullet lodged in him until he was taken ill and a strange object was found in him.

“What is this object? They say it’s a bullet. Can they remove it? Sometimes they just leave it in peace…”

Dr Issah was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after a ceremony at which the United Nations Population Fund donated 1000 packs of dignity kits to be distributed to the victims of the explosion.

The kits contained underwear, toothpaste with brushes, soaps, sanitary pads, condoms among others.

The Director said COVID-19 gave GHS an opportunity to develop a manual on how to deal with humanitarian emergencies and critically assess victim communities, their surroundings, district, region, and the nation at large to minimise the effects of such pandemics.

Similarly, it was being done for Appiatse, he said, adding that on a case-by-case basis, the Service would join other teams to assess what the victims would need as the effects could even affect generations.

On Thursday, January 20, 2022, an explosion occurred along the Tarkwa-Bogoso-Ayamfuri road after a truck transporting mining explosives was involved in a crash.

The explosion killed 14 persons injured 179 and displaced hundreds at Appiatse with their town completely destroyed.

The police are investigation the cause of the crash.