COMMUNITY WORKERS NEED LOCAL SUPPORT (PAGE 54, (AUGUST 14, 2010)

THE Bawku Municipal Director of Health Services, Dr Thomas Afful Mensah, has bemoaned the hostile attitude of some community leaders and the inhabitants towards officers in charge of Community Health and Planned Services (CHPS). He expressed regret that same community leaders go to the extent of vandalising such facilities only to turn round to ask for hospitals or clinics and medical officers.
Dr Mensah, therefore, appealed to those communities to desist from such illegal acts and show interest in the health issues of their members by seeing such facilities as their own property and also protect the officers in charge of them.
“It is, therefore, the community’s responsibility to offer protection for these compounds and own them, “he emphasised.
Dr Mensah made the remarks at the inauguration of CHPS compound at Gentiga, a deprived community in the Bawku Municipality with a population of about 13,000.
The GH¢50,000 facility will save members of the community the headache of travelling several kilometres to the next village, Mognori for medical attention.
Dr Mensah urged the community to show interest in the trend of diseases and other conditions which affect them, especially malaria, diarrhoea, and pneumonia and ensure that their pregnant women delivered at the centre.
Mr Lucio Dery, who is in charge of administration at the Regional Health Directorate, advised the women to control the birth rate of their children.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Bawku, Mr Musah Abdulai, promised the community of the government’s readiness to develop the area, especially the poor road network.
He asked the people to be patient and support the government to deliver on its “Better Ghana Agenda” which would improve their living standard before the end of the four-year term.