Bad roads at Afram plains affect healthcare, farming

The deplorable state of roads in some parts of Afram Plains in the Eastern Region is affecting healthcare delivery and farming activities in the area. The Holy Spirit Polyclinic which is the main health facility in the Afram Plains South District that serves more than 3,000 people cannot be reached by patients most of whom are pregnant women. Farmers said the poor roads made it difficult for them to visit the health facility when the need arose, especially when they were referred from CHPS compounds to the Holy Spirit Polyclinic, and were required to get a vehicle to convey them. The situation, they said also made it difficult for them to sell their farm produce as many drivers refused to ply the roads due to its terrible condition. They are, therefore, calling on authorities to fix the roads as a matter of urgency, to protect lives and their farming activities which served as the only means of livelihood for many within the Afram Plains enclave. One management member of the Holy Spirit Polyclinic, Sister Margaret Nyame, told the Ghanaian Times that the situation had even prevented many pregnant women from continuing with the required antenatal appointments. While some of them skipped appointments, others, she said completely stopped visiting the health facility with the excuse of difficulty in getting vehicles to bring them to the facility. She said others also complained that travelling on the bad roads for antenatal care made them very uncomfortable. Ms. Nyame added her voice to calls for a swift intervention to address the situation which she described as “very serious". “Vehicles get stuck on the road often so many drivers refuse to drive to this place making movement from far and closer areas to our facility for healthcare extremely difficult for some people,” she added. With regard to how the bad roads were affecting farming activities in the area, a resident of Akwasi Fanti, Victoria Gbowinor, stated that she and her husband owned a yam farm, but most of their produce were going bad because people stopped coming to the area in search of food products due to the bad roads. She said her husband had to sell the remaining tubers of yams, which were more than 200, at cheaper prices to avoid further loss. “Apart from us going in search of customers to buy our foodstuffs, there are many people who come here to buy, and not all of them prefer using the pontoon boat. Many pass through Juaso and Agogo to this area but now the bad roads are scaring them away and it is affecting our livelihood, we need help,” she lamented. A resident of Donkorkrom, also in the Kwahu Afram Plains North District, Florence Ansah also complained of low patronage of farm produce in the area, adding that fixing the bad road would bring back their customers. Assembly member for the Akwasi Fanti electoral area, Mr. Bukari Maasu, said the bad roads had negatively affected the people, adding that the situation got worst any time it rained.

The deplorable state of roads in some parts of Afram Plains in the Eastern Region is affecting healthcare delivery and farming activities in the area. The Holy Spirit Polyclinic which is the main health facility in the Afram Plains South District that serves more than 3,000 people cannot be reached by patients most of whom are pregnant women. Farmers said the poor roads made it difficult for them to visit the health facility when the need arose, especially when they were referred from CHPS compounds to the Holy Spirit Polyclinic, and were required to get a vehicle to convey them. The situation, they said also made it difficult for them to sell their farm produce as many drivers refused to ply the roads due to its terrible condition. They are, therefore, calling on authorities to fix the roads as a matter of urgency, to protect lives and their farming activities which served as the only means of livelihood for many within the Afram Plains enclave. One management member of the Holy Spirit Polyclinic, Sister Margaret Nyame, told the Ghanaian Times that the situation had even prevented many pregnant women from continuing with the required antenatal appointments. While some of them skipped appointments, others, she said completely stopped visiting the health facility with the excuse of difficulty in getting vehicles to bring them to the facility. She said others also complained that travelling on the bad roads for antenatal care made them very uncomfortable. Ms. Nyame added her voice to calls for a swift intervention to address the situation which she described as “very serious". “Vehicles get stuck on the road often so many drivers refuse to drive to this place making movement from far and closer areas to our facility for healthcare extremely difficult for some people,” she added. With regard to how the bad roads were affecting farming activities in the area, a resident of Akwasi Fanti, Victoria Gbowinor, stated that she and her husband owned a yam farm, but most of their produce were going bad because people stopped coming to the area in search of food products due to the bad roads. She said her husband had to sell the remaining tubers of yams, which were more than 200, at cheaper prices to avoid further loss. “Apart from us going in search of customers to buy our foodstuffs, there are many people who come here to buy, and not all of them prefer using the pontoon boat. Many pass through Juaso and Agogo to this area but now the bad roads are scaring them away and it is affecting our livelihood, we need help,” she lamented. A resident of Donkorkrom, also in the Kwahu Afram Plains North District, Florence Ansah also complained of low patronage of farm produce in the area, adding that fixing the bad road would bring back their customers. Assembly member for the Akwasi Fanti electoral area, Mr. Bukari Maasu, said the bad roads had negatively affected the people, adding that the situation got worst any time it rained.