Akim-Tafo Health Centre: A Fatal Disaster Awaiting

The lives of inhabitants, particularly sick people in the Akim-Tafo of the East Akim Municipality, are in serious danger following the deplorable state of the Community Health Centre.

The state of the community health centre, which operates from a rented apartment, leaves much to be desired, since the sight of the facility would further deepen the woes of traumatised and sick people accessing medical attention.

The two storey building, which, according to information gathered by the Eastern File, was built during the colonial era, with its ground floor made of concrete and the upper floor of wood, is in a dilapidated state with visible cracks in its walls.

Lack of space in the dilapidated building has forced the authority to create cubicles in the already small place, posing further dangers to patients who patronise the facility.

Following the collapse of the staircase in the building, the operators of the facility have created a makeshift staircase, which is unfriendly to pregnant women and relatively old people, since one could fall if care was not taken when using it.

A worker at the facility, who spoke with the file on condition of anonymity during a visit, said in some situations, they join two pews (benches) to make a bed since there were none available.

The worker described the situation as unfortunate, and negatively affecting the smooth operation of the facility, since, most often, the nurses work under unbearable conditions.

The make do structure is not the only health hazard, but also the lack of an ambulance to transport patients referred to nearby clinics or hospitals.

 
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(above and below ) The dilapidated Community Health Centre now a disaster  in waiting

According to the worker, the management had arranged with some taxi drivers within the area to serve as ambulances, but the exorbitant fare they slap on the patients had affected the exercise, since most of the patients are economically crippled.

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Narrating an incident that occurred barely three weeks ago, the Assembly Member for the area, Kofi Darkwa, said a

middle aged woman lost her life when she was referred to a nearby hospital, but because she was not able to afford the fare, was dropped midway through the journey, and passed on minutes later.

 
He, therefore, called on the Assembly to, at least, find a decent place to house the health institutions if the Assembly cannot build one within a short period, in order to save the lives of the people.