Yamfo Health Centre to be upgraded

Yamfo(B/A), March 16, GNA - Government is to upgrade Yamfo Health Centre into a hospital, Dr Yakubu Bayayina, Tano North District Director of Health Service announced on Thursday. He said the decision to upgrade the Centre was taken at the recent Brong Ahafo Regional Annual Health review meeting in Sunyani. "The decision when implemented would improve the health status of the people within the area especially with the implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)," He added. Dr Bayayina was addressing the chiefs and people of Yamfo during the presentation of some hospital equipment donated by Yamfo citizens in United States to the centre at Yamfo.

The equipment presented on behalf of the citizens by Mr Peter Adjei, Acting Secretary of Yamfo Town Council included 10 hospital beds and 10 mattresses estimated at about 27 million cedis. Dr Bayayina said the second phase of the registration for the NHIS had begun within the district and advised all and sundry to register. He appealed to the people to assist the assembly in its sanitation programmes to control filth and keep the environment healthy to contribute their quota in the socio-economic development of the district and the nation.

Madam Alice Nantwi, Principal Medical Assistant in-charge of the Centre said, it was established in 1970 to serve 20 communities. She said it lacked many facilities such as staff, residential accommodation, laboratory and electricity. Madam Nantwi commended the citizens for their gesture and appealed to other philanthropists, institutions and organisations to emulate them to improve on health care delivery for the people. She appealed to the Government, assembly and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to help provide laboratory equipment for the Centre's new laboratory block.

The people constructed the block with the assistance of Normandy Gold Mining Company, but has been idle since 1996 due to lack of equipment to become operational. Madam Nantwi said the centre required a means of transport to send referral patients in emergency cases especially pregnant women in labour to nearby hospitals. Mr Adjei commended Mr Ben Akyerekoh, President of the Yamfo Citizens in the US and his colleagues for their assistance to the centre. He also commended Mr Peter Kwaku Gyamfi, a Yamfo citizen in the US for donating three million cedis cash to provide furniture for the office and Out-Patient-Department of the centre.