Vane-Avatime calls for early completion of projects
The people of Vane-Avatime in the Ho-West District in the Volta Region are anxiously awaiting the completion of a clinic and a maternity block that is being put up for the community. Both facilities are to be fitted with mechanised boreholes.
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The projects are being put up by the Integrated Rural Development Project (IRDP) with funding from the Social Investment Fund (SIF) and are expected to be completed within nine months.
Healthcare facility
The community currently has a population of approximately 3000 people and an additional 3000 people living in nearby villages. Of these populations, about 57.5 per cent are females and 42.5 per cent are males who do not have access to quality health care because the only health facility in the community is a sub-standard old private clinic.
At least, there are about 6000 people who are expected to benefit from the ongoing construction of the clinic and maternity block when they are completed.
For now, the people in the area would have to travel to Kpedze or Ho in order to gain access to proper health care.
The Executive Director of the SIF, Mr Joseph Acheampong, who disclosed this to the media, said the project was part of efforts by the government to improve maternal and general health care delivery in the country.
Baseline data
He said a baseline data collected showed that the community did not have access to good quality health care, with current attendance at out-patient department (OPD) standing at 22 persons per day.
In addition, he said, attendance at child welfare clinic stood at 180 persons per month, family planning services at 15 persons per month, “and a shocking zero access to skilled delivery which result in expectant mothers seeking access to maternal health care from traditional birth attendants (TBA’s), with little or no skill.”
Expectation
Mr Acheampong explained that when completed, the project would boost both maternal and general health care delivery in the area with a projected OPD attendance pegged at 50 persons per day, child welfare clinic attendance at 300 persons per month and family planning services at 30 persons per month.
“Access to midwifery services and skilled deliveries will be readily made available and accessible to the community with a projection of 10 skilled deliveries in a month,” he added.
Excitement
He said members of the community were excited that they would now receive quality health care.
An opinion leader in the area and a member of the Sub-Project Management Committee (SPMC), Mr Francis Nugble, in an interview, expressed excitement adding, “it has always been the desire of the community to have a health facility of their own except that they lacked resources to do so. However, with this intervention, the community is now on cloud nine”.
He expressed delight that the community was chosen to benefit from the facilities and was grateful for “this immense assistance.”