A youth group in Paga, the capital of the Kasena-Nankana West district in the Upper East Region has mobilized some funds to construct a medical theatre for the district’s clinic.
Their efforts are aimed at elevating the district clinic to a hospital status to better serve the many communities in the district and beyond. The clinic has served more than 150 communities in the district and other foreign nationals mostly from neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali but the available facilities are not able to contain the numbers that seek medical attention.
The clinic currently can do very little about admissions since there are no admission wards so most cases are referred to the War Memorial Hospital in Navrongo or the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital which are quite distant. The only available ward at the facility for temporary admissions is a partitioned wooden structure that formerly served as a unisex ward.
As a result of this bad situation, the youth launched an initiative during their homecoming about three months ago to raise GHC120,000 to construct a medical theatre which will augment the 40-bed capacity ward that is under construction, all in a bid to give the facility a facelift.
They have so far raised about 80% of the funds including some support from Naara Rural Bank and the district assembly and the sod has been cut for work to begin.
The Chairman of the group, Richard Alogitega, acknowledged that government alone cannot provide the needs of every community hence the need for the youth to take responsibility for the development of the district. He therefore called on sons and daughters of the district both home and abroad to contribute immensely to the overall development of the district especially in the areas of education, health and sanitation.
The Medical Director of the Clinic, Dr. Ade Edward stressed the need for the clinic to attain a hospital status.
He commended the Paga youth for their initiative and urged other individuals and groups to emulate the gesture the group.
The DCE for Kassena Nankana West district, Clement Dandori also applauded the efforts of the group and pledged the Assembly’s commitment to provide assistance to the group in the speedy execution of the project.
