The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Kwahu Afram Plains South, Evans Kyei Ntiri, has commissioned three Community Health-based Planning and Services (CHPS) health centres in some remote areas in his jurisdiction.
The three communities, Twerefour Faaso, Bebuso and Mradan benefited from the projects due to the fact that persons living in these areas are far distant from the Kwahu Afram Plains South District capital, Tease.
According to DCE, Mr Kyei Ntiri, this forms part of President Akufo-Addo’s vision to provide basic healthcare delivery services to Ghanaians no matter where they find themselves.
Speaking in an interview with Republic Online and Republic Press’s Andy Frimpong Manso after the tour, the DCE indicated that, it’s afore-priority of the Local government system to provide social services to communities, ranging from Educational infrastructure, health, roads and Water.
The three CHPS compounds are fully equipped with semi-detached bungalows for health personnel who will be posted to those communities.
“The core mandate of the local government system is to provide basic social services to our communities, thus, education, water, roads and health infrastructure. Today, the Kwahu Afram Plains South District has commissioned 4 projects. The first is CHPS compounds with semi-detached bungalows at Twerefour Faaso, Bebuso and Mradan. We are also commissioning a six-unit boys’ dormitory at St. Fidelis Senior High and Technical School. We have commissioned a 3-unit classroom block with ancillary facilities at Tei – Lakorpe. We want our children to have a comfortable place to learn, as well as, to have at least, primary health care”,
The project, according to the DCE, was being initiated by the Assembly through the Common fund and District Development Fund. He commended his predecessor, Hon. George Ofori, who started some of these projects.
“These projects were being initiated by the Assembly through the Common fund and the DDF. I’ll use this opportunity to commend my predecessor, Hon. George Ofori, who started some of these projects”, he said.
The DCE urged the Communities to help maintain the facilities as stakeholders to ensure that the maintenance culture is adopted to preserve those facilities.
“I’ll urge the various communities that have benefitted from these CHPS compounds as he’ll adopt the maintenance culture. We can’t sit idle and say, these are government properties and, perhaps, nobody will support maintaining them. We’re saying that, if it goes beyond them, they should let us know, we will support maintaining it. We must put heads together and formulate ways to preserve these facilities”,
Residents in these communities appealed to the DCE to connect water resources that will be linked to the CHPS compound facilities to help aid the smooth operations of the health officials.
“We’ve dug several mechanised boreholes in seven years now. We’re still drilling. Some communities have boreholes, and others have some few damages to theirs, but we’re collating to repair them. We’re also doing additional feasibility to drill other ones that will be closer to the people. Social services are part of us. It’s our core mandate, so we’re ensuring that we provide them with water, especially, those CHPS compounds because most of these communities do not have electricity, so we couldn’t mechanise water for them. What we’re going to do is the rain harvest project but as when we’re drilling hand pumps, we’ll first target the health facilities we’ve constructed “,
The District Health Director, Richard Essien while addressing press men after accepting the handing over of the CHPS compound facilities said, it’s a paramount mandate on the Health Services to bring to the doorsteps of Ghanaians quality health care delivery.
He said it’s a priority for the health directorate to expand its operations.
“It’s our responsibility to provide health care delivery to all Ghanaians, and that’s why we’ve been able to outdoor these three CHPS compounds. This will not benefit only the residents where the facilities are seated, but whether all the adjoining areas. Our human resource is very important to us, hence, we needed to provide a standard and sound accommodation for our workers”,
He said these facilities have come in very handy as they will ease the cost and challenges for both residents and nurses in the areas.
“We had a lot of challenges. Areas like Bebuso had no CHPS compound. They were commuting from Semenhyia to seek health care services. Our services were being deployed to go on outreach monthly, and after they were done and departed the community, residents will have to commute patients on Okada to seek medical care. Some areas had CHPS compounds, but accommodation and comfortable facilities were the most challenging factors for our workers. Considering how dilapidated these structures were, it was a big challenge but for now, they have a comfortable place to sleep and a convenient environment”,
Mr Essien indicated that the facilities will be opened effective next week to provide health care services to the people. Although he said, there is equipment left to shore up the operations of the facility, however, the facility will be opened in a week.
“We have some equipment like fridge, furniture, tables, but we’re left with a weighing scale and other few items. But most especially, where we had CHPS compound initially will start operation this week because they have their equipment already but where we don’t have the facilities, by next week we’ll start operation.
He also appealed for the provision of motorbikes for the nurses to provide health care for the residents.
“One thing we’d ask for is the provision of motorbikes for our workers. This will ease the stress on residents in catchment areas who’d have to go come a long way to the facility, but when the bikes are provided, nurses will go to those areas themselves”, he stated.
Nana Osei Antwi Boasiako ll who represented the Nkwatiahene Nana Boamah Ayirepey lll commended the DCE and the Assembly for their relentless efforts to provide health care delivery for residents in such remote areas.
