Member of Parliament (MP) for Akim Swedru in the Central Region, Kennedy Nyarko Osei has called on President John Dramani Mahama and his appointees to see ‘governance as a serious business’ and stop taking the people of Ghana for granted.
“We are not joking, governance is a serious business so they should work to better the lot of Ghanaians once they have accepted to govern…,” the MP said.
Hon. Osei Nyarko who was not pleased with an answer to his question on what plans the Ministry of Health has for the construction of a District Hospital at Akim Swedru, the District capital of Birim South, called on the Minister for Health, Ms. Sherry Aryittey and the entire NDC administration to wake up and govern very well once they have accepted the mantle to rule.
“It is the policy of the Ministry of Health to provide all districts in the country with a District Hospital. In pursuance of this policy, the Ministry shall provide the Birim South District with a befitting District Hospital when funding becomes available…,” she stated in her response.
This and other responses including the Minister calling on the MP to use his allocation of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) for that did not please the MP who in an interview with the media questioned how he can use the ‘meagre proceeds’ from his common fund to build such a facility.
“This and many others make me at times think the NDC government is not serious, how can you say a District Hospital for a larger district should be funded with funds from the district NHIA and common fund…?” he queried.
He continued that the answer was a non-starter at all as the government has failed in releasing the DACF since 2013 and hence did not see how the developmental needs of the people can be met.
The MP continued that the government should work assiduously to provide the District hospital instead of relying on the two Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds available in the district and an old catholic hospital initially built to serve the health needs of catholic workers posted to the district.
“We can’t depend on a CHPS compound because it is like a first aid point and not a serious hospital [so] we need a serious hospital which can take care of people,” he urged.