$860,000 Volo Health Centre to Get First Doctor After 3 Years

The abandoned $860,000 Volo Samsung Digital Village finally saw some activity on Sunday after the North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and a team of health professionals kick-started a medical outreach programme based at the village’s health centre.

There are now plans in the works to host periodic medical outreaches for residents of the North Tongu District and beyond.

“Thankfully we have been able to put together an improvised programme where we will carry out monthly outreaches free of charge. At least, we have raised enough resources to take care of the volunteer doctors and volunteer nurses and other medical staff who have agreed to form a partnership with us,” Mr. Ablakwa told Citi News.

He also revealed that after three years, a doctor had finally agreed to be posted to the health centre.

“We have also finally got a medical doctor who has agreed to be posted here and this is the first time we are going to have a medical doctor in this part of the constituency… He tells us that he is just waiting for his release documents and he will come but we are very grateful to him for accepting to come help us.

The digital village project comprises a solar-powered library and a health facility which was funded by Samsung and UNESCO for the government of Ghana in May 2015.

Located at Volo, a fishing community, its construction was aimed at providing the essential educational and health needs of about 5,000 people in that community and surrounding communities.

But since its commissioning, it had not been operational.

Mr. Ablakwa noted earlier that about GHc500,000 is required to construct decent accommodation facilities for the prospective health professionals who may accept to work at the facility.

Citi News‘ last visit to the facility revealed that one of the solar panels on the roof had been blown off and the various diagnostics units were at the mercy of animals.

According to some news reports, health workers and residents were not in support of the location of the facility, which they say is isolated from many community members.

Mr. Ablakwa, who disclosed there were earlier plans to revamp the Centre, said the moves were expedited following Citi News reports on the sorry state of the $860,000 investment.