Ofankor Residents Weep Over Abandoned Health Centre

Residents of Ofankor in the Ga North Municipality have called on the government to immediately operationalize the Ofankor Health Centre which remains closed.

According to a resident who spoke to CitiNews, although the health centre is close, they travel to Achimota or Amasaman to for healthcare.

“I have been here for the past three years. I only saw the facility last year but it seems they've not opened it so it's been worrying us. When we fall sick we go to Amasaman or Achimota,” a resident lamented in a Citi TV interview.

Another complained about the huge traffic they endure when accessing health facilities in neighbouring communities.

“It is a problem for us since there is no public hospital around here, only a few private hospitals around and the cost not everyone can afford it. So we are pleading on the government to operationalize this facility for us. During the day there is also heavy traffic on roads to the Amasaman or Achimota hospitals,” another one said.

The health centre which was constructed two years ago by the government with funding from the African Development Bank has been abandoned.

It is one of over 16 hospitals that have been abandoned nationwide.

Operationalising 'abandoned' Ofankor health centre to cost GHc1.2m

The Ga West Municipal Assembly is spending some GHc1.2 million to operationalize the abandoned Ofankor Health Centre.

The Ga West Municipal Chief executive, Clement Nii Lamptey Wilkinson, in a Citi News interview said the centre would be operational by the middle of July.

“We are putting some finishes touches inside of the facility. We plan to do that by the end of this month, but looking at things, by the middle of July, we can open it for the community to use. The money that we have to spend on what we are doing is about GHc1.2 million,” he added.

Nurses, other staff on standby
Meanwhile, the Municipal Health Director for Ga West, Dr Doris Arhin said they have staff on standby to work at the facility.

“Currently we have staff waiting to start work. They are on standby. We have the administrator of the hospital, procurement, secretary, nurses; we have even the deputy director of the nursing services waiting for the functionality of the facility,” she said.

Dr Doris said they are only awaiting furniture promised them by the Ga North Municipal Assembly.

“The assembly has promised to purchase furniture. We currently have about 40 beds, anaesthetic machine, theatre beds, OPD, equipment, and logistics. All these are available but the only challenge is furniture,” she added.