Open Defecation Affecting Operations Of Busa Clinic

Open defecation has engulfed the Busa Community Clinic under Wa Municipal exposing the health of both patients and health personnel at the facility to further risk as they breathed in the bad stench coming from the faecal substances.

The community lacked both public and household toilets; a situation that forced members to resort to open defecation.

Nancy Momoro, a Midwife at Busa Clinic brought this to light during a town hall meeting organised by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) with support from DW Akademie in Germany as part of the implementation of a project dubbed 'Promoting Citizen's Participation in Local Governance through Increase Access to Information'.

The Midwife noted that the clinic lacked security lights which made the place dark at night; a situation that made it a convenient place for both children and adults to engage in open defecation.

'The darkness of the place also exposes the people to the threat of snake bites at night', she said.

Madam Nancy therefore appealed to the Wa Municipal Assembly to provide street lights around the clinic to brighten up the place and also provide a public toilet for the people to prevent them from engaging in open defecation.

Mr Mohammed Musah Bipuah, the In-charge of the Busa Clinic also appealed to the Assembly to help the clinic with a maternity ward and at least two delivery beds to support the comfort of women who come to the facility to deliver.

Ahmed Mansurah, a Teacher at Busa KG also raised a concern of people defecating on the school campus and sometimes inside the classrooms, saying 'Just yesterday, we had to convey faeces out of one of the classrooms and wash it before using it'.

She appealed to the Assembly to provide street lights at the school campus to prevent people from openly defecating at the school premises.

Mr Issahaku Tahiru Moomin, Wa Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) thanked the people for the concerns raised and said the Assembly had taken notice of them and would act accordingly.

The MCE said the Assembly had acquired 200 poles to help extend electricity to some communities without electricity while liaising with other organizations to acquire pipes for the extension of potable water to other communities.

Madam Beate Weides, DW Akademie Country Coordinator Ghana said there was high press freedom in Ghana but pointed out that citizens access to information was however weak which needed to be addressed.

She said it was for this reason that DW Akademie was supporting media training in Africa including; Ghana to help build trust between Assemblies and the media to enable them join forces to keep citizens well informed to enhance their participation in local governance.

Mr. Jerry Sam, Programmes Director for Penplusbytes said they were working to ensure that information from the Assemblies would be simplified and put online and also on SMS platform for easy accessibility for people to channel their concerns to the Assemblies using the same platforms.

Mr Philip Acquaye, Programme Officer for MFWA expressed satisfaction at the level of participation, saying it was very important for citizens to be well informed about the activities of the Assembly.

'It is easy for you to criticize when you don't know, but if you know, you will even help to educate others', he said.

GNA
By Prosper K. Kuorsoh, GNA