Cape Coast — ZoomLion Ghana Limited, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Ministry of Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and President's Special Initiative, as well as the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, have launched a sanitation programme in and around hospitals in the Central Region, to get rid of preventable diseases such as malaria and cholera, among others.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of ZoomLion, Oscar Provencal, disclosed that 60 to 70% of diseases were preventable, adding that the aim of the programme, was to bring disease control to the doorsteps of the people.

He advised workers of ZoomLion to educate people on hygienic, and also urged them to keep clean environments for healthy and productive lives.

Launching the programme at the Central Regional Hospital (Inturbeton) in Cape Coast on Wednesday, the Central Regional Minister, Stephen Nana Ato Arthur, stressed on the need for people to keep clean environments for a healthy living, so as to attract tourists to the area.

He bemoaned the situation where government spent huge sums of money on health-related issues that could be used for equally important development projects.

He implored the Municipal and District Assemblies to pursue an educational public campaign on environmental health, to reduce cases of preventable diseases.

He commended ZoomLion for the work they were doing, and urged them to keep up with the good work.

A representative of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) assured ZoomLion of the scheme's preparedness to support the programme to avoid preventable diseases.

The Administrator of the Central Regional Hospital, Adjei Frimpong, noted that many diseases reported at the hospital were preventable, and urged the public to keep their environments clean for healthy lifestyles.