Pigbengben community begin construction of health facility with limited resources
Residents of Pigbengben in Vieri Electoral Area in the Wa West District have mobilized local human and material resources to build a health centre for the community.
The community made of about 700 inhabitants, who are predominately peasant farmers, said lack of a health facility coupled with deplorable road networks make it difficult for them to access quality health services.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Saturday, Mr Ankah Yakubu, a Community Leader, said anytime a pregnant woman was in labour she had to be carried to Veri, which is about six-kilometers away, to access skilled delivery services.
This, he said, was detrimental to their lives as some of them lose their lives or unborn babies in the process compelling the people to use communal labour to mould bricks to start the construction of the centre.
“We are facing a lot of problem in this community. Anytime a woman is to deliver she either has to go Vieri, Nyema or Lassie, so the nurse who comes to this community told us to build the health centre here,” Mr Ankah said.
A woman in the community, who wanted to be called Madam Emilia, said pregnant women in the community were unable to access antenatal services and skilled delivery services, particularly in the rainy season, due to the long distance one had to trek before accessing services at Vieri or Lassie.
“Because of the distance and bad roads when it rains we are not able to go to other communities for health services, so sometimes pregnant women deliver at home and when you deliver at home too they charge you, some even die or their babies will die”, she said.
Mr Abraham Tam, the Youth Secretary for the Community, said they have taken the initiative and contributed money to build the health centre with the anticipation that government or benevolent organizations would come to their aid.
When contacted, the Assembly Member for Vieri Electoral Area, Dari Joseph Yaaweh, told the GNA that he has asked the community members to cost the project and make the document available for onward submission to the district assembly and other organizations for support.
The health centre, when completed, would contain a maternity ward, two bedrooms for the health staff, toilet and bath, and kitchen among other facilities.
They appealed to the government and benevolent organizations to come to their aid to enable them complete the project which will help enhance access to primary healthcare services in the community.
Source: GNA