Wa asks for a Regional Hospital

Wa, June 4, GNA - The Chief of the Akans in the Upper West Region, Nana T.K. Serbah, has appealed to the government to build a regional hospital in Wa to take care of the health needs of the people in the region.

He said the current regional hospital, which serves as a referral hospital for the region, was a district hospital before the creation of the Upper West Region and therefore could not cope up with the number of patients who go there daily.

Nana Serbah made the appeal at this year's Upper West Regional People's Assembly forum held in Wa on Tuesday. He appealed to the Upper West Regional Minister, Mr. George Hikah Benson, to make follow-ups to the government to fulfil its promise of providing a regional hospital for the people of the region. Mr. Benson said land for the project had been acquired and gave the assurance that government would fulfil its promise. He said last year was quite challenging for the country as a result of serious shocks emanating from high crude oil prices. These not withstanding, government is still executing infrastructural and socio-economic programmes and projects in line with its development agenda.

Mr. Benson said five communities in every district would be connected to the national electricity grid while five other communities would be provided with potable water under the Small Town Water Project this year.

He said the National Health Insurance Scheme had covered 56 per cent of the total population of people in the region and called on people who have not yet registered with the scheme to do so. He mentioned the lack of irrigation facilities, widespread poverty, high unemployment rate and the need to increase enrolment and retention as well as improvement in school infrastructure were challenges facing the region.

"For instance, available records showed that 16.5 per cent of children between six and 11 are not in school", Mr. Benson said. Some of the participants called on the Wa Municipal Assembly to provide adequate toilet and urinal facilities in the Wa Central Market and repair all the street lights to reduce burglary. They appealed to the assembly to remove all unauthorized structures such as those on school playgrounds and on waterways to give the municipality a facelift and prevent flooding. A similar forum was also held at Wechau where the people asked for good roads, potable water, extension of electricity and schools.