Mass hotel inspection, screening of food vendors in Ho

The Environmental Health Department in the Volta Region has undertaken an inspection of hotels and other hospitality facilities in and around the Ho Municipality ahead of the 66th Independence Day Celebrations.

The national celebrations would be in the Region for the first time, and hospitality services are all out to meet the demand of the occasion which is expected to flood the regional capital with thousands of dignitaries.

Madam Stella Kumedzro, Regional Environmental Health Officer, told the GNA that the exercise was to ensure health and sanitation standards were cranked up to ensure risk free and incident free hospitality services.

About 50 hotels, guest houses and lodges were inspected, and the REHO noted that most were up to task, ready and had good sanitation.

She said the tour offered the opportunity to provide the needed advice to operators on keeping facilities at their best.

Storage facilities were required to be kept clean, with food safely separated from non-food items.

Septic tanks and other waste holding facilities were asked to be dislodged ahead of visitor influx, and all surroundings were ordered to be kept free of weeds.

A major health screening of all food vendors is currently being undertaken, and the REHO said these were to ensure that all foods were in good condition.

Vendors have been asked to wear personal protective equipment when rendering services and would be required to produce medical screening certificate obtained from the various Assemblies to be able to operate.

The Department had also undertaken or supported clean-up excises in Ho, Adaklu, and South Tongu as well as in other entry districts such as North Tongu, and Central Tongu.

Tourist sites, pubs and other recreational centers were also visited by the inspection teams.

The line-up of activities for the 12-day celebration is helping promote the Region’s tourism potential, and there is a week-long food bazaar, and a full night of music from artistes from the Region.

A round trip by tourism ambassadors from the Region just concluded, and there is a Tour Volta Day event on Saturday that would take visitors to popular sites including the canopy walkway-under-waterfall, the Ote Falls, and the well-known monkey sanctuary, the Tafi Atome.

There is a cycling, photo walk and a hike up the Adaklu Mountain scheduled for Sunday.

An Anniversary debate comes off at the OLA SHS Hall on Thursday, and a popular “What do You Know” quiz competition will be held at the UHAS Cedi Auditorium on Sunday.