CHPS COMPOUND INAUGURATED AT NATE (PAGE 40, MARCH 15, 2010)

A COMMUNITY-BASED Health Planning Services (CHPS) compound has been inaugurated at Aloko in the Garu-Tempane District.
The three-bedroom house with toilet, bath and a borehole, was built with funds from the District Wide Assistant Programme.
Speaking at a brief ceremony to hand over the project to the community, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Garu-Tempane, Mr David Adakudugu, said the provision of the facility was meant to bring health delivery to the doorsteps of the people and alleviate their suffering. “Hitherto, these people had to trek between 10 and 15 kilometres to access health care services either at Garu or Denugu, but with the provision of this facility, they will be able to access health care right at their doorstep,” the DCE said.
He expressed the hope that members of the community would take good care of the facility and maintain it, adding that efforts would be made to extend similar facilities to other communities in the district.
The chief of the area, Naba Ndeyaba Atampurre, commended the district assembly for constructing the facility after the previous one collapsed several years ago.
The assembly member for the area, Mr Kwame Issaka, said the provision of the facility would help in the reduction of maternal mortality rate in the area.
While commending the government for providing the facility, he implored the Ghana Health Service to post a dedicated and committed community health officer to the area to take charge of the facility.
Meanwhile the DCE for Garu-Tempane, David Adakudugu, has expressed the desire of the assembly to ensure that development projects are evenly distributed in the district.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic after a tour of the district, Mr Adakudugu said in spite of the huge debt that the assembly inherited from the previous administration, his outfit was committed to providing the entire district with the necessary social amenities.
He stated that on assumption of office, he realised that a total of 26 projects, mainly educational infrastructure costing GH¢880,000 had been awarded on contract by the previous administration.
“What we decided to do was to see how best we could pay for these contracts and complete those which were still under construction,” Mr Adakudugu said.
He disclosed that, last year, the assembly made payments of GH¢400,000, adding that this year, the assembly had allocated GH¢480,000 from its share of the District Assemblies’ Common Fund to clear the outstanding debts. This is to ensure that all projects under construction were completed and put into good use.
“Our government has stated categorically that it will continue with all projects started by the previous government, provided they are not clouded with certain uncertainties. Once we are satisfied that the projects are meant for the benefit of the entire community, we will finish and put them to good use,” the DCE said.