Misconception over community-based health planning and services lead to drug wastage in Woarabeba

Woarabeba, a fishing community in Winneba the Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound plays a vital role in providing basic healthcare.

Yet, the facility faces significant challenges that limit its operations and affect how residents perceive its services.

The CHPS compound serves as the first point of contact for rural and remote communities, covering a catchment area of about 5,000 people.

A key feature of CHPS is its community-based service delivery model, which emphasizes partnerships with households, local leaders, and social groups to address health needs at the community level.

Despite this mandate, resources at Woarabeba remain strained.

According to a resident Elizabeth Sotwa the clinic has only three health workers and is not registered under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)”

Currently, the Woarabeba CHPS compound provides preventive and minor health services, including treatment for malaria, diarrhea, coughs and child health care.

In emergencies, patients must be referred and transported by ambulance or taxi to nearby hospitals.

Health worker in the facility, Jason Quartey explained that the clinic also engages the community three times a week with environmental and health education programs.

However, he noted that many residents continue to rely on traditional medicine despite these outreach efforts.

One of the pressing challenges is frequent medicine stockouts. Drugs nearing expiry are often transferred to other facilities, leaving Woarabeba residents at risk of not receiving timely treatment.

Another issue lies in community perception many residents mistakenly view the CHPS compound as a full-scale hospital and expect specialized services.

This gap between expectation and the facility’s actual mandate often creates frustration, leading some community members to neglect the services available.

Ernest Kelvin Okanta, a student at the University of Education, Winneba (Department of Journalism and Media Studies)