Congressman Visits USAID support health centre

Okuampa, C/R, Aug. 23, GNA - Mr. Donald M. Payne, US Congressman on Friday visited a USAID, Ghana supported Community-based Health Centre at Okuampa in the Central Region.

The Centre established in 2000 was to improve the health needs of the people, offer counselling on maternal and child health, family planning, malaria prevention and treatment, HIV/AIDS prevention, among others.

Mr Payne said the US government was committed to improving health care in Africa countries, especially in deprived areas and that the centre was one of the numerous facilities built to provide basic health services.

He said USAID had worked health officials to pilot and then generalize the community-based health Planning and Services (CHPS) initiated for underserved rural communities in terms of healthcare. Mr. Payne lauded the collaboration between volunteers and staff of the health centre in their life management process and promised that the US government would continue to support such community-based programmes. Ms. Monica Effinah, Community Health Officer, Winneba, who is in charge of the Centre noted the increasing desire for Family Planning (FP) among the communities.

She said in 2005, the area recorded 35 FP cases, 2006 had 60 while 44 cases were recorded so far in 2007. Ms. Effinah said the centre detained cases and referrals were made in emergency cases and appealed to government for ambulance and other vehicles to transport emergency cases and officials of the Hospital.