Japan Assists Two Projects

The Government of Japan has extended an amount of $107,149 (about 875.4million cedis) to Savannah Integrated Rural Development Aid (SIRDA) an NGO based in Tamale in the Northern Region and Boso Secondary Technical School in the Eastern Region under its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects Scheme (GGP).

The Japanese Ambassador, Mrs. Kuzuko Asai signed on behalf of the government of Japan while Mr. Fuseini David Sule, project coordinator signed for SIRDA and Mr. Nathaniel Kingsley Afunyah, Headmaster of Boso Secondary Technical School signed for the school.

SIRDA received $53,123 (?43.6 million) for the construction of a new ward for the West End Hospital in the Gukpeigu/Sabonjida District in Tamale.

Mrs. Asai expressed disappointment that patients with communicable diseases have to share rooms with other patients because of the shortage of wards at the hospital. She said the government of Japan has been concerned about the health care situation in Ghana. She said since the inception of GGP, Japan has extended over 1.3 million US dollars to rural communities to support their efforts to improve health care.

The objectives of this project are to provide facilities that would enhance effective health care, reduce congestion in wards, enhance efficiency among health workers, and enable the hospital to admit more patients needing medical attention. She said the achievement of these objectives will in long term reduce disease prevalence and contribute to improving the health and socio-economic stature of the people of the district.

Mr. Sule said the poor state of health facilities could be said to be the root course of high infant mortality rate in the district. He said that with the construction of the new ward for the hospital, the government of Japan is providing much needed facilities for the development of the north and thanked them for their support.

Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, MP for Gukpeigu/Sabonjida promised to monitor the project.

Boso Secondary Technical School received $54,296 (440 million cedis) for the construction of a six -classroom block.

The Japanese Ambassador praised the community of Boso for their willingness to provide communal labour and raise supplementary funds. She said she hope the grant would enable the pupils, who are currently learning under deplorable conditions to have decent classrooms.

The headmaster of Boso, said due to the sharp increase in student population, the school had to grapple with large class sizes which do not allow for effective class management. He thanked the Japanese Government for bringing in Japanese volunteers every two years to teach at the school. He pledged the completion of the classrooms by next academic year.