Agotime-Ziope commissions first free primary healthcare facility at Wodome

The Agotime-Ziope District has commissioned its first free primary healthcare facility at Wodome, a border community in the Volta Region, as part of efforts to expand access to quality healthcare in underserved communities.

The facility is part of the Government of Ghana's flagship Free Primary Healthcare Programme, an initiative that seeks to eliminate financial barriers to basic healthcare for citizens across the country.

The newly commissioned health post is fully equipped to commence operations, with a nurses' station, dispensary, washrooms, consulting room, storage and a detention area.

Speaking at the commissioning, the Member of Parliament for Agotime-Ziope, Hon. Charles Agbeve, described the project as a major step towards universal health coverage, noting that a lot more work remains to be done.

"This is a very important progress in our quest to achieve universal health coverage. These two facilities are a stepping stone to achieving this important milestone," Hon. Agbeve said.

He expressed appreciation for the collaboration with partners, including the Government of Ghana, the Ministry of Health, and World Vision Ghana, which supported the Agorhokpo health facility with equipment.

"What I'm happy about is the support and collaboration from our partners. That's the Government of Ghana first, and then World Vision with supportive equipment at Agorhokpo and, of course, the Ministry of Health, through the government and the facilities they've given us," he stated.

Hon. Agbeve noted that the Minister of Health is on record to have stated that only 5% of CHPS compounds nationwide have the requisite facilities and equipment to operate, a situation the district is working to change.

"All we need to do is to replicate this system in the other CHPS compounds. We want to go beyond that. We want to be 100% compliant. So how do we get there? It means we need to put in more. So we will build it gradually," he explained.

He said the district has already exceeded the government's policy of at least one CHPS compound per electoral area, citing the Akwetey Electoral Area which now has three facilities at Akwetey and Agbesia to reduce walking distances for residents.

"Together with the DCE, we are working very hard to make sure we achieve more. He's put up two CHPS compounds through the Assembly, one at Datsiedu and one at Kpetoe, and these will also be commissioned soon to come on board," he added.

According to the MP, the expansion is aimed at increasing access to healthcare, improving first aid and referral services, and strengthening preventive care through community outreach, particularly for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

"Moving forward, we want more of these facilities, more penetration, more access to healthcare delivery, and not only healthcare delivery but quality healthcare delivery. Also getting very qualified personnel to man all these facilities and we, on the other hand, will do our best to provide the infrastructure and facilities," Hon. Agbeve stressed.

On his part, the District Health Director, Mr. Emmanuel Awine Ayamga, described the day as a privileged one for the district, highlighting two major milestones – the equipping of the Agorhokpo Health Centre by World Vision and the commissioning of the Wodome health post.

"Today has been a very privileged and very special day for Agotime-Ziope. The basic equipment World Vision presented will go a long way to ensure that health workers have the necessary tools to provide quality care that the people need," Mr. Ayamga stated.

He noted that Wodome's location as a border town makes the health post strategic for port health and disease surveillance, while also bridging the access gap for a highly populated community that previously relied on distant facilities. On sustainability, he said maintenance would be ensured through Community Health Management Committees (CHMCs) as stipulated in the CHPS implementation guidelines.