Gusheigu Assembly builds clinics for two communities

Gusheigu, (N/R), Aug. 11, GNA - The Gushiegu District Assembly in the Northern Region has built two clinics with nurses' quarters at a total co= st of GHc 145,000.00 in the farming communities of Zamashegu and Nabuli. The fully furnished Zamashegu Clinic and quarters cost GHc 88,000.00 and was constructed under the Northern Region Poverty Reduction Programme (NORPREP), while the Nabuli Clinic cost GHc 57,000.00. The facilities would serve about 78 communities in eight zones in the District with a population of over 22,565 people.

Mr Fuseini Alhassan, the Gushiegu District Chief Executive, (DCE) handed over the facilities to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) at separate ceremonies on Wednesday. The DCE said the provision of the facilities was in line with the government's determination to send health care delivery to the door steps= of the people and urged them to cooperate with the health personnel who would be posted to man the clinics to enable them to give of their best. He assured the people that the government would soon provide electricity to 15 communities in the District by the end of September this year and assured them that they would be beneficiaries. The DCE said the construction of the Midwifery School at Gusheigu was in progress and would soon be completed for the commencement of admissions this year.

Dr Akwasi Twumasi, Regional Director of Health Services, said the Region was short of medical personnel in the all areas of health delivery and was currently operating with about 36 per cent of the required staff. He said the region lacked the ability to attract and retain health personnel and, consequently, appealed to the chiefs and the Assemblies to identify and support students from the communities who could be admitted into health training institutions so that after completion of their courses they could be posted to serve their people.

Alhaji Abudul-Rahaman Yakubu, the Gushiegu District Director of Health, noted that the Nabuli area records a high number of maternal deaths and said this year alone about four deaths been recorded. He, therefore, urged the people to eliminate the cultural beliefs which did not allow pregnant women to be acknowledged as such until certain rituals were performed.

They should rather allow the expectant mothers to seek ante-natal care. He also noted that malnutrition was also very high in the area and urged the people, especially pregnant women, to eat balanced diets and also use iodated salt in the preparation of their meals. Alhaji Yakubu appealed to the chiefs and peoples of the two communities to offer security to the health personnel who would be posted t= o take care of them and make them feel at home and appealed to the Assembly t= o also provide more accommodation facilities for them.