Gushiegu (N/R), July 2, GNA - Some 41,000 people in the Gushiegu district are fully benefiting from the District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme with a cumulative premium of 90 million cedis. Mr. Abukari Mahama, Gushiegu District Chief Executive (DCE) made this known on Saturday during a sod cutting ceremony for the construction of a 17 million Euro hospital for the people of Gushiegu and surrounding communities.
Governments of Ghana and the Netherlands are funding the project, which is scheduled to complete in two years' time. The hospital would be equipped with modern facilities such as In-Patient accommodations, Accident and Emergency wards, two operating theatres, laboratories, X-ray and scanner machines, pharmacy and Ambulances.
Two semi-detached quarters for resident doctors and 16 bungalows for nurses would also be constructed to provide accommodation for health personnel posted to work there.
Mr Mahama said the people of the area were conscious of the ruling New Patriotic Party's efforts to make health services affordable to communities and that they had joined the National Health Insurance Scheme whole heartedly to improve their health status. He said about 4,000 applicants of the scheme had so far been treated at no extra cost at the Gushiegu health centre and other health facilities at Yendi, Nalerigu and Tamale. He therefore appealed to the rest of the community to register with the scheme.
He said when completed, the new Gushiegu District hospital would greatly help to take the pressure off healthcare facilities at Yendi, Nalerigu and Tamale hospitals.
Dr Elias Sory, Northern Regional Director of Health Services expressed concern that although the region is one of the biggest with a high population size, it lacked adequate health institutions. The Regent of Gushiegu, Naa Abu Yakubu, expressed joy about the beginning of construction works on the new hospital and thanked the government for implementing the project to alleviate the plight of the rural people.
"I thank the NPP government very much from the bottom of my heart for working to alleviate the plight of me and my people and we would also continue to pray for the President for him to live long". The Regent pledged to personally help in the supervision of the project to ensure its early completion.
Major Courage Quarshiga (Rtd), Health Minister who broke the ground for the construction of the hospital, urged the people to live healthy lifestyles and be more conscious of preventable illnesses. He said improving and expanding health facilities to make healthcare delivery more accessible in the country was the utmost priority of the government and gave the assurance that government would continue to support the health sector to grow. 02 July 06
