Presbyterian Health Centre inaugurated at Enchi

Enchi (W/R), Jan 23 GNA - A 721 million-cedi Health Centre has been inaugurated at a ceremony at Enchi.

The Health Centre, which was financed by the Protestant Church of Palatinate, Germany, and local support from the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) was made up of a clinic and a maternity home. The Centre has a casualty ward, Consulting room, Out Patients Department (OPD), Maternity wing, Dispensary, two observation wards, nine toilets and seven bathrooms among others.

In addition, the Presbyterian Church of Enchi congregation has built a staff quarters, valued at A243 million for the Centre. Addressing the gathering, Rev Joseph Anang Obodai, Chairperson, Western Presbytery, said the Centre was not to serve as a rival but to complement the efforts of the Government Hospital at Enchi. He said the Centre is not a profit-making venture of PCG, rather anything that would be rendered would go to augment the administration, maintenance and functions of the Centre, adding, PCG was not going to derive a pesewa from it.

Rev Obodai reminded the gathering that though PCG believed in faith healing, it could not be complete without clinics and hospitals. Summarising the "Good Samaritan" story, he said the man was taken to hospital and an amount was paid.

Rev Obodai said Jesus healed people and PCG has set up hospitals and clinics all over the country to justify that it was in conformity with the action of Jesus to bring about good health to mankind. Mr Kingsley Ofori Asante, Aowin Suaman District Chief Executive said the inauguration of the health centre added up to the immense contribution that religious bodies have made and continuous to make towards socio-economic development of Ghana.

He said the New Patriotic Party administration recognized the efforts of all religious bodies in general and would therefore do its best to ensure that both the church and the state would exist as partners for the advancement and the well being of Ghanaians. Mr Ofori Antwi commended PCG for initiating the provision of several social services in the country and thanked its partners in Germany for financing the health centre at Enchi.

He expressed his gratitude to Nananom for willingly releasing land for the construction of the centre, adding that, the state acknowledged their contribution in the nation's developmental aspirations. The DCE mentioned one major canker that often deprived the people of full benefits of such project as the culture of maintenance that almost went hiding, the moment such facilities were put in use and appealed to the management of the facility to ensure that the project would always be in the best of shape.

He said the district assembly has already facilitated the extension of electricity to the Centre and has also provided one borehole and added that efforts were underway to mechanize it.

Mr Ofori Antwi appealed to all those who have not registered with the District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme to do so now, adding, " those who refuse to recognize it today may learn an unpalatable lesson from it tomorrow. I don't think I would be happy to jubilate over the mistakes of my dear brothers, sisters and friends". Rev Mrs Marianne Wagner, Director, Ecumenical Relations, Protestant Church of Palatinate, said the co-operation between the churches in Germany and PCG has brought a lot of fruits one of which was the Maternity Home.

She said the other fruits consisted of the growing consciousness that PCG and Protestant Church of Palatinate, belonged to each other as brothers and sisters and who could help each other mutually in our mission on earth.

"It is my prayer that our partnership would grow and bring good fruits here and also in Germany." Mrs Wagner added. She said the project was made possible because the people were challenged by their quest for fulfilling a mission of providing service