Health On Wheels -“onua Dor” Concept Must Not Die

ONUA DOR, loosely translated as Brotherly Care was a laudable Healthcare concept introduced under the National Medical Outreach Services program during the administration of H.E. John Mahama-led NDC.

The concept which some of us prefer to call "Healthcare on Wheels" has these specially built mobile vans fitted with sophisticated medical equipment, to be manned by medical professionals and the healthcare targeted at hard-to-reach areas in this country where there are no (up to the task) healthcare facilities or health professionals to provide such specific services.

For instance, these mobile vans have equipment that can provide Dental, Optical, Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) related services, which are not a regular feature of Ghana Health Service (GHS) activities during outreach.

This ONUA DOR concept forms part of the NDC and H.E. John Mahama's larger vision of taking Ghana's Healthcare to another level altogether with the belief that "Health is Wealth" and that when the population is healthy, the country is wealthy affording everybody the opportunity to go about his or her activity in contributing to the wellbeing of the economy.

Ever since H.E. John Mahama-led NDC handed over power (inclusive of handing over notes), this beautiful ONUA DOR concept has been abandoned, leaving the mobile vans at the mercy of the weather at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital as the poor people - deserving taxpayers in rural Ghana, specifically the hard to reach areas, struggle to access needed healthcare.

It is also obvious that the succeeding Nana Akufo Addo government does not come across as one that sees Healthcare as a need of the people, let alone the provision of infrastructure as a priority but only enjoying the payment of lip service.

Considering the numerous District hospital projects among others that are quite closer to these hard-to-reach areas but are totally abandoned, a smarter government, one that cares about the people would have sought to own the ONUA DOR or Health on Wheel concept, putting it to work, rather the mobile vans and the equipment are abandoned.

The way things are going, it would not be out of place if it has to take taxpayers to exert immeasurable pressure on the sitting Government to ensure that these mobile vans are back on the road to provide our deserving compatriots in rural Ghana the needed healthcare.

It is as well important to ignore the spurious, festering claims of the failed Akufo Addo led- NPP government that these specially built vans were imported for ambulance services

Ghana deserves better! Taxpayers deserve better!

NB: Fitted at the back of the vans as seen in pictures are also specially built generators to power the medical equipment during services.

Writer: Koku Mawuli Nanegbe
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