Jubilee Partners happy with pace of health projects

Dr. Benjamin Kumbuor, Minister of Health

Although encouraged by the pace of work on health and sanitation projects, being sponsored by Jubilee Oil Venture in Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, company officials

however, seek early completion of the job for the benefit of the people. Management had therefore called on contractors working on the projects to expedite action.

Dr Toni Aubynn, Corporate Affairs Manager of Tullow Ghana Limited, who led a team of Jubilee Venture officials to inspect the projects, said the Jubilee Partnership is eager to see the communities using the facilities by the close of January 2011.

Led by Tullow, the Jubilee Partnership had so far invested about $712,068.00 (GH¢ 1,032,499.00) into the construction of a Maternity Block at Essikado Hospital, the completion of a new Accident and Emergency Ward for the Effia Nkwanta Hospital and rehabilitation of the Sekondi Anaafo Beach.

Although all the three projects fall within the partnership's declared four key pillars for social investment, they were actually initiated at the request of local institutions and community authorities.

The maternity unit of the 46 years old Essikado Hospital, which serves a wide catchment's area covering Kojokrom, Nchaban, Ngyiresia and many other adjoining communities, had come under

intense pressure with its aging equipment and low total bed complement of about 21.

The Jubilee Partnership, in September, inaugurated the construction of a modern seven-ward Maternity Block with a total bedding capacity of 200, expected to be completed by the end of March next year, at the cost of GH¢600, 000.00.

Madam Naomi Kwakye, Managing Nurse at the health facility described the Jubilee Partnership's initiative as "a very major boost, which has arrived just in time".

"Our hospital serves several thousands of people from several communities around, but since its establishment in 1964, Essikado has not benefited from any serious expansion programme. We are most impressed and cannot wait to start using the new Block. We do know that Essikado Hospital is one of the oldest hospitals in the entire Western Region and that its capacities have been far outstripped by a growing population and new responsibilities," she said.

Dr Aubynn said the Jubilee Partnership was proud to be of help to the Essikado community, "because for us, good health is the key to every successful enterprise".

When completed, the new maternity block will have an Operating Theatre, Delivery Unit, a First Aid unit while the wards would comprise four main wards and three side wards.

At the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital, which is one of the old but busy and pressurised medical facility in the Region, the Jubilee Partnership is financing the completion of a new Accident and Emergency Ward which had stalled for years due to lack of funding.

Dr Paul Kwaw Ntodi, Medical Director, told newsmen that the old Accident and Emergency Ward is in a "pitiful state" for many years.

"Our old A and E Ward is congested, it has no theatre and can take and offer only 10 beds to the hundreds of people who need to be admitted."

The Jubilee Partners have committed GH¢ 215,000.00 needed to complete the project and work had progressed considerably. The partners and hospital officials are confident that by February2011 the Hospital could be opening a new Accident and Emergency Ward.

The team also inspected the project to improve the Sekondi Anaafo Beach, a once popular recreational area, which had suffered degradation due to neglect and the collapse of sanitary services.

Working in conjunction with the Metropolitan Assembly and the office of the Regional Parks and Gardens, the Jubilee Partners have invested $150,000.00 (about GH¢ 217,500.00) to clean up and beautify the one kilometre stretch of Sekondi Anaafo's quarry-stone, protected beach line with greenery while building a modern toilet facility to prevent the local community defecating at the premises.

"When we at Jubilee talk about our concern for general health improvement, sanitation is a key component of it. We have concluded consultations with our partners for this project – the Metropolitan Assembly and the Regional Parks and Gardens – and we are ready to clean up this once beautiful beach, build a new toilet facility for it and upgrade its recreational potentials for the benefit of the people of this great community," Dr Aubynn said.

Sustainable healthcare for the communities is a key component of the Jubilee Partnership's four pillars of corporate social responsibility which include education, enterprise development and natural resource governance.