Baptist Convention, CVC build ultra-modern hospital for Nvellenu

An ultra-modern hospital for the people of Nvellenu in the Jomoro District of the Western Region has been commissioned.

    The facility which is as a result of a partnership between the Ghana Baptist Convention (GBC) and the Cuyahoga Valley Church, Cleveland Ohio, USA, will serve the people of Jomoro Municipal, Ellembelle and Nzema East Districts.

    The hospital, which is the first phase, was built with the intention of becoming a tertiary institution, and it is equipped with first-class facilities at a cost of $760,000.

    The second phase constitutes a major in-patient ward facility, a radiology department, a 42-room two- storey staff quarters and a much more bigger theatre.

The construction of the hospital was necessitated by the long distance of travel by the GBC missionary and the people of the Nvellenu community to access healthcare.

    It has a theatre, dispensary/pharmacy, emergency, maternity and recovery wards, injection room, ultra-sound scan and record offices, consulting rooms and a laboratory.

    Vice President Administration of the GBC, Reverend Washington Komla Darke, said the GBC exists to evangelise to the lost, disciple believers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, plant churches, train leaders and minister to meet the spiritual and socio-economic needs of people through strong and vibrant structures and institutions, and in cooperation with relevant bodies.

    He said the convention and its International Mission Board partners for the past sixty years have complemented government effort in the provision of quality healthcare for the people of north eastern part of Ghana through the Baptist Medical Centre (BMC), Nalerigu.

    Rev Komla Darke said the BMC serves as a district health facility and has a bed capacity of about 180, and is expected to increase to 300 by the end of year.

    He said the establishment of hospitals was in line with the vision and mission of the church, adding that, for the past 16 years, the Nzema Home Missionary has worked tirelessly to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people considered as unreached with the establishment of about 56 churches.

    According to the man of God, for the past 4 years, the GBC Health Service has worked for the accreditation of seven health facilities by the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) including this hospital, and was mindful of the importance of addressing basic social needs from the grassroots level in order to ensure improved factors that determine good and quality health care service deliveries.     

    “The GBC commits itself to continue to complement government effort to reduce maternal and child mortality rates, control the spread of preventable diseases such as HIV and AIDS, malaria and many more through its health facilities and programmes and hope that the convention’s collaboration with government will be enhanced for the benefit of the citizenry.”

    The vice president said the CVC group recognised that healthcare facility was a critical need for the people of Nzema.

    He said the convention envisages the expansion of the hospital to be a tertiary hospital in the years to come, adding that, the CVC which provided financial support for the hospital construction has also rented and made two years advance payment for accommodation for critical essential staff posted to the facility.

    “The CVC has also committed to paying staff remuneration and allowances until the BHS is able to secure posting from CHAG and the Convention appreciates the dedication of CVC to ensure the people of Nzema have the best of health care,” he added

    Team Leader of the CVC, Dr Ron P. Cleveland, said many hands had played a role in the planning, financing, and construction of the hospital.

    He said there were also many people to thanked who played a role in this building project, especially, Pastor Rick Duncan, the former Senior Pastor and Missions Director at Cuyahoga Valley Church, whose vision and passion for global missions encouraged us all to come to Ghana.

    Dr Cleveland said God loves and cares for the people of Nzema and has chosen to express his lovingkindness for you with this hospital.

     He expressed the hope and prayer that for all who come to the hospital for care, pass by on the road and those who hear about the hospital will cry out as a testimony of God’s love.

    Nana Moamezie II of Tiapoum thanked the GBC and CVC for adding social intervention responsibilities to its gospel proclamation and appealed to them to consider building a nursing school to support the community.