First Lady Cuts Sod for 16-bed health centre

First Lady Mrs. Rebecca Naa Okaikor Akufo-Addo on Tuesday cut the sod for the construction of a 16 bed fully equipped Health Centre for the people at Kwame Anum in the Ga South Municipality of Greater Accra Region.

The facility, being constructed with funding from the Infanta Malaria Prevention Foundation (IMPF) would serve the health care needs of the over 82,000 population of Kwame Anum, Ashalaja and other surrounding communities. It will complement services rendered by the Obom Health Centre, the only health facility in the Obom sub-district.

Addressing dignitaries at the ceremony, Mrs. Akufo-Addo, who is also the founder of the Infanta Malaria Prevention Foundation, said her Organisation strongly believed that access to quality healthcare was a basic human right, and so were passionate when it comes to bringing healthcare to the doorsteps of Ghanaians.

“Part of what we do is to provide health facilities in communities that urgently need them, and Obom Sub-district is one such community”, she said.

She urged Organisations and Institutions to support the quest for universal primary healthcare, saying that, “For everyone to have reasonable access to quality health care irrespective of where they live, every community deserves to have a range of both preventive and curative healthcare by skilled providers.”

Mrs. Akufo-Addo expressed optimism that when the new facility was completed by the end of the year, it would be well staffed to provide the critical services needed.

She was also hopeful that the health workers, who would be posted there would work tirelessly to provide the desired quality of care, which would go a long way to take the pressure off the Obom Health Centre, while bringing quality healthcare closer and accessible to the people.

The First Lady thanked political, traditional and opinion leaders in Ga- South for their support in ensuring a successful take-off of the new health care facility. She urged them to continue providing protection for workers and equipment on site to ensure successful and timely completion of the project for the benefit of all.

She encouraged the practice of sleeping under treated mosquito nets to prevent malaria, advising pregnant mothers to attend ante-natal clinic, test for HIV, and exclusively breastfeed their babies for at least six months for better health.

Nii Kwame Anum, the Chief of Kwame Anum, expressed his profound gratitude to the First Lady and the Infanta Malaria Prevention Foundation for selecting their community to put up the Health facility. He said the intervention was a timely relief in the face of the rapid rate of population increase in the Ga South district with its attendant pressure on social infrastructure.

Other dignitaries who graced the ceremony were Mr. Habib Saad, Member of Parliament for Bortiano Ngeleshie Amanfrom and Mr. Joseph Nyami Stephens, Municipal Chief Executive of Ga South.