Afram Plains North cries for motorbikes

Out of the 27 functional Community-based Health Planning Services (CHPS) compounds in the Kwahu Afram Plains North District, all situated at hard-to-reach-areas, only 12 have motorbikes to support the staff.

Thirty per cent of the population of the district stay on the Islands, in the district and are served by only four CHPS compounds, three of which are dilapidated with no lights and health equipment.

There is only one motorbike which supports the services of the four CHPS compounds on the Islands, and often the health staff have to use a boat without life jackets, to offer services to the people on the Islands.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) Media Auditing and Tracking of Development team got to know this when members visited the district recently. Speaking to the team, the District Health Director, Mr Robert Kwaku Bio, expressed worry about the lack of transport to enable the health staff to get to the hard-to-reach areas of the district.

He said only eight out of the 27 functional CHPS compounds had permanent structures, which meant that health staff had to commute to and from the remaining 19 CHPS centers every day, adding, “Meanwhile we have a challenge with means of transport to those areas.”

Mr Bio, therefore, appealed to government, philanthropists and organisations to come to the aid of the district, by providing them with motorbikes to enable them to easily reach out to the people in the other 12 hard-to-reach areas.

“Because of the poor roads here in the Afram Plains, we have become beggars with a choice; we need specifically Yamaha AG 100 or AG 125 brands of motorbikes because they are durable for our roads. We would however welcome 4x4 vehicles,” he said.

Mr Bio, however, expressed gratitude to the Eastern Regional Health Directorate for doing well in selecting very committed health staff, who in spite of the dire challenges in the district, were still happy working at their areas of posting.

He was also grateful to the Ministry of Health for releasing funds to enable the district directorate go about its duties smoothly. He, however, requested that his committed health officers be motivated enough to continue with their good works.

'Mr Aboagye Didieye, Member of Parliament for this area has also been of immense help to us, he bought a brand new outboard motor for Nyakpekope CHPS compound on the Island, and Mr Seth Glah Lotsu, a community member who also moulded a wooden boat for the same facility,” he added.