Nurses, Other Staff Say They're Ready To Run Ofankor Health Centre

Municipal Health Director of the Ga West Municipality, Dr Doris Arhin says they have nurses and staff on standby to run the Ofankor health centre.

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

The Ga North Municipal Assembly is spending some GHc1.2 million to operationalize the health centre.

Its Chief Executive, Clement Nii Lamptey Wilkinson, in a Citi News interview said the centre would be operational by the middle of next month [July 2018].

“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,” Dr Doris Arhin said in a Citi TV interview.

Dr Doris Arhin said they have the necessary equipment to run the facility but their only challenge has to do with lack of furniture.

She added that the Ga North Municipal Assembly has promised to provide them with furniture.

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

Ofankor residents lament 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 is yet to commence operations.

According to him, although the health centre is close to them, they travel to neighbouring towns such as Achimota or Amasaman to have their health needs met or pay vast sums of monies to have such services at private hospitals.

“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 resident 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 Ofankor Health Centre is one of over 16 hospitals that have been completed but yet to be operationalized.