Dodi Islanders appeal for speed boats to ferry patients

By Philip Otuo,

Residents of Dodi Island in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region have made a passionate appeal to the government to provide speed boats to serve as ambulances to ferry patients during emergency cases to Dodi-Asantekrom, a nearby community to access healthcare at a Community-based Health and Planning Services (CHPs) compound which was inaugurated on Tuesday by the Asuogyaman district Assembly.



The CHPs compound initiative is an intervention expected to bridge the gap between the Ghana Health Service and communities, in terms of Health care decision making.

Dodi Island is a remote Island–16 square miles in area–inhabited by about 1,000 people. It lies in the Volta River, 30 kilometres north of the Akosombo Dam. The only means of transport in the community is local boats.

Residents say it is sometimes difficult to get local fishermen to use their boats to ferry patients across the lake, especially in the night to the CHPs compound in the neighbouring community for treatment. The situation has led to the death of some pregnant women.

The CHPs Compound was funded and furnished with logistics from a Japanese grant at the cost of $121,000. The facility contains a delivery ward, OPD and two quarters for nurses.

It will serve over 4,000 people in Dodi-Asantekrom and five other communities including Dodi Island.

Inaugurating the project, the Japan Ambassador to Ghana, Kaoru Yoshimura said the CHPs Compound aims to support government to reduce maternal mortality and help provide healthcare to the doorsteps of the people.

The District Chief Executive for Asuogyaman, Thomas Ampem-Nyarko stated that as part of government’s efforts to improve health delivery in the district, a clinic has been built at Atimpoku while other CHPs compounds are under construction in the district.

He said the district has started the distribution of bicycles to health volunteers in the various communities to facilitate their work as far as health is concerned.

The CHPs compound is the 152nd in the Eastern region out of the 879 expected to be put up in the region.

CHPs compounds

According to an article written by Quansah E.B, before the adaption of CHPs compounds, the Ministry of Health through the Ghana Health Service tried a Navrongo Community Health and Family Planning Project (CHFP) with the hope of replicating the results across the country. The outcome of CHFP was renamed Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) and was piloted in Nkwanta, Birim North and Asebu-Abura-Kwamankese.

Under this initiative, Health care services are expected to correspond with the needs of beneficiary communities, hence, the inclusion of Reproductive and Child Health care and counseling for adolescent. These services are also expected to be delivered with a human face approach, which maintains the dignity clients and respects their culture.

There are many CHPS compounds across the country to improve access to health care facility and also reduce the distance between communities and big Hospitals.

It is meant to bring relief to rural folks as far as health delivery is concerned.




Source: Ghana/StarrFMonline.com/103.5fm/Kojo Ansah