Japan assists Bunkpurugu health centre

The Japan Embassy in Ghana on Friday signed a grant contract of GH¢406,772.26 with Maata-N-Tudu Association from the Bunkpurugu Yunyo district of the Northern Region  to assist the association in the construction of a maternity ward and staff bungalow for the Bunkpurugu Health Centre.

The project components also include the provision of medical equipment and furniture.

Mr Naoto Nikai, Japanese Ambassador to Ghana said the agreement formed part of the Japanese Government’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGHSP) Scheme, which aimed to assist directly, grassroots level development projects.

He said the GGHSP was a small scale assistance for Basic Needs for Humanity Security Purposes, from the people of Japan to communities in Ghana.

Mr Nikai said the essence of the grant was to enhance maternal health care in that district by providing additional facilities to enable them to manage maternal and child health cases effectively.

“The grant will also help in the provision of a conducive environment for both staff and patients, thereby improving antenatal and neo-natal care in the district.

“Obviously, the Embassy recognised this project to be in line with the Government of Japan and Ghana’s efforts in meeting MDGs 4 and 5 which are concerned with maternal and child care in developing settings,” he said.

The Ambassador said the project had been necessitated by the fact that the health centre, being the only health facility in the district was unable to meet the diverse health needs of its inhabitants and expressed the hope that the additional facilities would provide the desired health service deserving of inhabitants.

Mr Konlan Jabong Lambongang, Executive Secretary of the Association thanked the embassy for considering their application and assured the Ambassador that the grant money would be used solely for the project.

“We want to assure you that planning committee members would also monitor and supervise the project effectively to ensure its successful completion,”he added.

The GGHSP scheme, set up in Ghana in 1989 to spearhead development projects country wide, has since funded a total of 246 projects.

The Bunkpurugu Health Centre contract was the 57th project under the health sector alone.

Source: GNA