Bilinsa community appeals for completion of health facility

Residents of Bilinsa, a community in the Builsa North District of the Upper East Region, are appealing to government to assist them complete a stalled community initiated health facility.

The community presently depends on a rented house which was initially converted to a Community-based Health Planning and Service (CHPS) compound for health care delivery, but later upgraded to a Health Centre.

The community members made the appeal through the Assembly member for the area, Mr Clifford Apag-yarik at a social auditing programme organised at the instance of the National Commission for Civic Education with support from the European Union.

The programme was intended to offer citizens and duty bearers the opportunity to discuss issues related to the development of their community and also increase awareness of the operations of local government and empower citizens to demand accountability from duty bearers.

Mr Apag-yarik said members of the community mobilized their own resources, secured a land and initiated the project.

“We have constructed the foundation, we have building blocks, sand and stones, but we have no funds to continue. We can’t even complete it because it is a big project with a nurse’s quarters.

“We want to appeal to government to take up the project and award to a contractor to complete it for us. The little resources we can provide is what we have done. That is the most important project for us,” the Assembly member said.

Mr Apag-yarik said without government or support from non-governmental organisations, it would take years to complete the project, adding that the rented property may one day be demanded by the owner.

“Our next concern is electricity. Bilinsa is made up of four communities, some communities have electricity, while others don’t have. We want to also appeal for extension of the rural electrification project to these communities.”

The Assembly member said members of the community were ready to provide labour to ensure the success of the project, “We will provide land for them to mount the electricity poles, if there is a need to cut trees to make way, we will provide the assistance as well.”

He said the community could not buy the electrical poles and cables, reiterating that “the little we can do is to provide the labour.”