Irregular electricity, water supply hindering health care

Navrongo (UE/R), May 20, GNA - Electricity power fluctuations and poor water supply are hindering health care delivery at the Navrongo War Memorial Hospital. Some hospital equipment had broken down due to frequent power outage and surgical operations were sometimes postponed because of shortage of water, Dr. William Gudu, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, said on Wednesday when he took the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Woyongo round the various wards of the hospital. Dr. Gudu said that one electric transformer served the hospital and Navrongo township and appealed to the Regional Minister to arrange with the Volta River Authority (VRA) to give the hospital a separate transformer to help improve health delivery. He asked the Ghana Water Company to ensure regular water supply to the hospital.

Mr. Woyongo, who was visiting the hospital to inspect the rehabilitated mortuary refrigerator and interact with health personnel, assured the staff that the hospital would be supplied with a mechanized borehole to provide water "but for the meantime, it would be arranged for GWC to supply you with water every week or as often as you need it so that no work will be put on hold while you wait for water". The refrigerator that broke down five years ago and had been renovated at a cost of 9,000 Ghana Cedis was now operating at full capacity, taking 12 bodies but could accommodate at most 24 bodies if the need arose.

Mr. Woyongo explained that he had arranged for the repairs of the refrigerator because carrying dead bodies from Navrongo to Bolgatanga and sending them back for burial created inconvenience to the people. He called for regular maintenance of the refrigerator by a trust worthy company.

Mr. Woyongo said government had placed premium on health care as the nation needed healthy people for development. He commended the health personnel for working hard and promised to donate five wheel chairs and clutches to the hospital.