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Diseases contracted from animals leading to deaths in the country, is due to the underuse of veterinary doctors whose responsibility it is to examine animal health for consumption purposes, former Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in the erstwhile John Mahama administration, has said.
Speaking on Angel FM’s Anɔpa Bɔfoɔ morning show, Dr. Hanna Louisa Bissiw, a veterinary surgeon noted that, despite the growing number of enrolments in veterinary schools in the country, more attention has been given to crop production than animals which are consumed everyday for which reason the veterinary in Ghana are not engaged as expected.
Her comments came in wake of pictures making rounds on social media of processed meat being transported from an abattoir at Kejetia, Kumasi, in a pick up truck popular called “Aboboyaa” without proper covering for protection against environmental pollution.
According to the National Women’s Organiser for National Democratic Congress (NDC), under normal circumstances, the presence of a veterinarian or lab is needed at every abattoir to examine animals brought in for slaughtering.
“Sometimes when animals are brought to the slaughter houses, they need to rest for at least two days before they are slaughtered because, they go through stress leading to the production of certain toxic chemicals in their system. They may as well be infected with diseases like tuberculosis which are all not healthy for consumption.
“That’s why there is the need for every abattoir to have a veterinarian who will monitor the animals physically and pass judgement on them or a lab where the organs of the animals slaughtered can be taken for examination, to determine whether or not they are safe for consumption before they are distributed,” Dr. Louisa Bissiw said in her interview with Kwamina Sam Biney.
She added that health inspectors have a role in the process which is to ensure that the environment in which the butchers operate is clean and conducive for animal processing and that the meats are transported in good condition.
“If health inspectorates were available to monitor the environment under which these meats are processed, and the veterinary as well engaged, we would not be eating animal products which would cause health problems like tuberculosis and cancers among consumers,” she said.
The veterinary surgeon therefore advised that cold vans be made available to slaughter houses to help distribute the meats to butcheries and consumers while the government engages more veterinary officers and health inspectors to ensure that meat produced for consumption are received in good condition.
