E/R: Almost finished CHPS compound abandoned at Kpanedey; residents threaten 'no vote in 2024'

An almost finished CHPS compound at Kpanedey in the Fanteakwa South District of the Eastern Region has been abandoned by this administration.

The CHIPS compound was constructed to serve residents of Kpanedey and its surrounding communities including Bunaaase, Agyeikrom, Ogomoh, 83 and Pimpimso.

The building which also houses a residence intended for health workers who will work at the facility, has been taken over by reptiles including snakes and lizards.

Speaking in an interview with CTV’s Kamal Ahmed, the Assembly man for the Agyeikrom Electoral Area, Mr Agyei Mohammed, disclosed that construction of the building began under the erstwhile Mahama administration and despite being ninety percent complete, has been abandoned since 2016.

He noted that, the past District Chief Executive (DCE) for Fanteakwa South, Mr Ntori Agyabeng, while he was still in office, assured residents that the structure will be completed to enable the community access healthcare, however, that did not happen.

The Assembly man further noted that the newly-appointed DCE for the area, Ernest Ofosu also promised to ensure the completion of the project by February 2022, yet that has not happened.

According to the Assembly man every material need to complete the building is available at the project site, but there is no one to order work to continue on the structure.

Nursing mothers and pregnant women in the community have had to travel via motorbike popularly called ‘Okada’, or on a tricycle referred to as ‘Aboboya’ in the local parlance to the nearest health facility located in Bosuso.

A nursing mother, Korkor narrated how she had to walk from Kpanadey to Bosuso, while in labour because there was no means of transport available at the time she went into labour.

The facility is currently being use by a nurse who weighs babies there as part of community health workers visits to the village and other surrounding communities to weigh babies.

The youth of the area are also unhappy with the current situation and refuse to show up for communal labour since it involves clearing weeds around the CHIPS compound, when the building has been abandoned and does not serve its purpose in the community.

The Kpanadey Community Secretary Kwasi Larbi Darko bemoaned the state of the abandoned structure.

He blamed the Fanteakwa South District Assembly for abandoning the building.

According to him, all efforts to have the facility open to the public has yielded no results including bringing in a Health Director who came from Koforidua to Agyeikrom, to check on the facility and work towards its completion.

He appealed to the authorities to come to the aid of residents of the Kpanadey community and the various communities that the CHIPS compound is expected to serve.

A resident of the community David Narh appealed to government to give residents their share of the national cake by opening the facility to the public.

“We are appealing to the leaders to come to our aid as soon as possible because we are really suffering. We’re not happy the way authorities are treating us. We vote in this country and we deserve our share of the national cake.

“When it’s election period you find your ways to come and lie to us to vote for you but after it, you refuse to complete our just a CHIPS compound project. We are not voting for both NPP or NDC come 2024, if this health facility still remains in this same condition. My brother’s wife delivered on kpanadey bypass after she hasd walked for two kilometres. Due to our poor road conditions, no car wants to ply the road unless motorcycle or Tricycle. No completion of CHIPS compound no voting.

The Dadematse of the area Teye Joseph also disclosed that the person who donated the land to be used for the construction of the facility has threatened to take his land back if it will not be completed.

Source: classfmonline.com