By Hilda Ampomah, GNA
Accra, Oct. 12, GNA – The Minister of Health,
Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has assured residents within the Ashiaman and Sege
communities of the immediate completion and opening of 30-bed capacity
Polyclinics within the two communities.
The construction of the polyclinics was part
of the government’s agenda to make health accessing easier for five communities
within the Greater Accra Region – Sege, Ashiaman, Ogbojo, Bortianor and Oduman.
The five projects were at a total cost of 13.5
Million Euros.
Mr Agyeman-Manu made this known at a tour of
the Facilities by staff of the Sector, the media and other government
institutions’ representatives on Thursday.
He said the Engineers working on the project
had assured the Ministry of completing the project in December for it to be
opened for operations on January 2019.
He said the new Sege Polyclinic under construction
had only one theatre, therefore he suggested that they made an expansion to
construct another theatre in the future to provide emergency medical services
to the public.
He said the Ministry had as part of its
policies to construct a hospital in each district to avoid the stress people
had to go through in travelling to far places to access medical care at
regional hospitals.
“People in this area will benefit tremendously
and when women are in labour, they wouldn’t need to travel long distances to seek
health care, therefore, this would reduce the neonatal and maternal births and
deaths to help us achieve the Sustainable Development Goals on health”, he
said.
Mr Agyeman-Manu said the new facility would
reduce financial burden placed on some residents who travel to Tema from Sege
and Ashiaman just to access medical care, adding that due to financial
constraint, some patients delayed in seeking health care with the consolation
that with time, they would be well naturally.
He said the projects which were commenced on
May 2017 were “thank you” projects to appreciate Ghanaians for giving the New
Patriotic Party the opportunity to serve the country.
He said the facilities had connection of water
and electricity already and what was left with stocking and furnishing with
items including beds, theatre and laboratory equipment, curtains, television
sets, and fridges.
The Minister urged the Metropolitan, Municipal
and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to support in the accommodation being
constructed for doctors within the Polyclinics with electrical gadgets
including television sets, cooking stoves, and fridges to make staying and
working in the facility comfortable for any doctor who would be transferred to
work there.
Mr Agyeman-Manu said the facilities would provide
basic health care including maternity care, general medical care, emergency
care, laboratory testing, X-Ray services, and pharmacy for the public.
He urged the MMDAs to grow beautifying plants
and flowers around the new health facility in Ashiaman to deter some residents
who were using the place as a ground for defecating from continuing the act.
Mr Albert Tackie, Brand Manager of Vamed
Engineering Ghana Limited, an Austrian Contracting Firm working on the projects
said they were certain to complete the projects in December, adding that the
facilities were all disability friendly.
He said Vamed Engineering Ghana Limited had
been in Ghana since the year 2000 with specialty in healthcare projects and had
been contracted to build many health facilities across the country including
the Sogakope, Begoro, and Gushiegu District Hospitals.
Mrs Patience Ami Mamattah, the Ashiaman
Municipal Director of Health, said the Municipality were excited about the
construction of the new facility because the old health facility had become
inadequate in health delivery due to the population increase in the
municipality.
She said health care givers were ready to
start working in the facility right after its completion and furnishing.
GNA