Kojope Community gets fully furnished CHPS compound

Kojope Community gets fully furnished CHPS compound

Access to healthcare has been a challenge for residents of Kojope in the West Gonja District of the Northern region of Ghana.

But the community can now heave a sigh of relief with the construction and handing over of a fully furnished Community-Based Health Planning Service(CHPS) compound by the assembly.

Constructed at a sum of Ghc139,932.11 from the assembly's share of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF), the facility is expected to aid primary health care delivery to residents of Kojope and neighbouring communities such as Sumpini.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony, the DCE of the West Gonja District Assembly,hon.Saaed Muhazu Jibreal emphasised the need to take good care of the facility, adding that, the facility may be ungraded to the status of a polyclinic in the near future.He said the facility was a collaboration between the previous government and the current government to provide health care to the people.
According to him,when he took over office as DCE, there were speculations that the contract was going to be halted,since government had changed hands,but he assured the people of a continuation of which he has accordingly delivered.

In the interim,he disclosed that solar panels will be installed to provide lights to the facility whilst permanent steps are taken to connect it to the national grid, and further stated that,he had submitted proposals for the Damongo town clinic and the Busunu clinic to be upgraded to polyclinics.

On the proposed Savannah region,he appealed to the community members to vote only YES.According to him,a single no will lead to a frantic search for such a voter.He said the assembly was yet to form local organising committees in the various communities for the purpose of galvanising YES votes for the region.These committees he said,would be devoid of politics and will include members from both NDC and NPP as well as chiefs and opinions leaders.

Madam Hajia Fuseini Sulemama,the District Health Director expressed delight for the facility and assured the community of adequate and regular supply of staff and drugs.She said the progress of the CHPS compound will depend on the community and that,the community should assist them to take care of the facility.

Accommodation challenges according to her,were the main reasons why nurses were always commuting to and fro Damongo and the community making healthcare delivery in the night impossible.But with the newly equipped facility,that will be a thing of the past.
She encouraged the community members,particularly pregnant women and children to visit the facility regularly and on time,and not wait for their situations to become worse before reporting...This she said usually put the staff in a difficult situation in their bid to delivering quality and effective healthcare.

The chief of the community through his representative and the members of the community expressed gratitude to the assembly for the facility.
They appealed to the health director to increase the staff strength and ensure regular supply of drugs to the facility.They said it was a sign of good governance to have continued with the project to completion.

Mr.Aidu Aminu who represented the contractor, handed over the keys to the facility to the DCE who then handed it over to the health director.

The short ceremony was attended by the DCE, the Coordinating Director and some staff of the assembly,the District Health Director,community members and the media.

Source:Ananpansah B Abraham