Rural Ghana grateful to Onuado
To the people in the remote parts of the country, health is the most admirable manifestation of right living. As an African proverb has it, disease and disasters come and go like rain, but health is like the sun that illuminates the entire village.
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It is obvious that the recent move by the government to send medical care to the doorstep of people in rural Ghana, while it continues with the building of new structures and the equipping and staffing of existing health facilities seems to be one of the most palpable interventions the rural folks will forever be grateful for, aside from water and electricity.
Onuado is a mobile health facility inaugurated by the government with a full complement of medical staff, which is expected to move into the hard-to-reach parts of the country to offer medical care to the rural folks.
The deployment of Onuado (literally meaning “brotherly love”), after its launch in Sekondi, to render free services in general medical care, de
Different shades of needs
The Daily Graphic accompanied the medical team on the trip and came face to face with people who had been living with sicknesses for countless number of years. To many, the situation was due to the non-availability of medical facilities and the distance they had to travel, book an appointment with a medical doctor and join the queue.
So to these rural dwellers, the government has shown good faith, because until the visit of Onuado, the only health facility they had was their local chemical store.
One of them said, “The operator of this chemical store is a farmer; he opens only after he returns from the farm, therefore, the Onuado is big gift from government.”
One man with dental caries or kaka said all he needed was the removal of the affected teeth, and the Onuado facility had given him that for free.
“I am grateful to the President. I wish he were among the people so I could say thank you to him personally.”
With many of the people needing specialist services, the facility was a perfect intervention for them.
Agona-Nkwanta
On arrival at the Ahanta West District, the people’s turnout was overwhelming.
As early as 6:30a.m., the entire waiting area was crowded with people who were being registered to enable them to see the medical doctors and specialists.
Almost thousands from more than 30 communities were attended to as of 5:30 p.m., but many were still in the queue waiting for their turn.
Nsuaem
At the next stop, Tarkwa Nsuaem Health facility, thousands from more than 30 communities defied the threatening weather and impatiently waited for their turn.
There, many people were grateful for the services provided with the free medication which was not what they got at the various health care centres they visited.
One of the beneficiaries, Egya Blay, said: “I must say that some of the medications given us are not covered by the National Health Insurance card. I was given the prescriptions for these medications, but after supplying me I could not pay when the pharmacist told me at Tarkwa that it was not covered under NHIS.”
Esiama & Aiyinase
The team moved to the Ellembelle District, where the elderly were not left out. Many braved the harsh weather at sandy Esiama to make sure that they were attended to.
However, the crowd at Aiyinase who wanted to ensure that they were not left out overwhelmed the team.
After an initial orientation, they were given numbers. As of 9:30a.m., more than 600 people had been registered with the same number of people waiting to be registered and seen by specialists.
Though overwhelmed, the medical team resolved to ensure that all were attended to.
The team closed late and did not take a break to eat as the number of those who sought their services were beyond expectation. But the Nzema hospitality and friendly posture was showcased as both patients and caregivers shared smiles throughout the period.
At about 7 p.m., the last person was attended to. However, that was not the end of the story as the pressure from all the specialties was now brought to bear on pharmacists until 9:30p.m.
Grandmothers & children
A gratifying moment was when the elderly and grandmothers appeared with their grandchildren at their backs to seek medical care.
Madam Yaba was one such elderly person with a grandchild and, interestingly, she arrived late and resolved to make sure that her grandchild was taken care of.
Some grandmothers who were not strong enough to stand their boisterous grandchildren, some of who were resisting the interventions of Dr Atsu Doodor, Dr R. Anthony and Paul Ntodi, were won over with admiration when the doctors sang to the children.
Challenges
One of the challenges that the team had to deal with was people who had resolved to follow the van from one district to another.
These people presented themselves for a particular care, and after collecting medication for that, they presented themselves in another district to complain about a different ailment.
In one such instance, and based on the vigilance of the doctors and nurses, some were found out and the explanation was that “the medication was good and we wanted more.”
Asked if they were aware they could be denying others of the opportunity, they moved away quietly to save themselves from embarrassment.