The Community Health Planning Services (CHPS) compound at Lahato in the Nanumba South district of the Northern Region is in a dire need of basic resources, equipment and tools for service delivery at the facility.
The facility, which serves communities like Kalakpi, Zonyohi, Lahato and Chichahi, is faced with a lot of challenges ranging from a lack of beds to the lack of basic administrative materials.
When Citi News visited the facility, which requires one to cross the Oti River, the facility’s unstable power situation was a key problem noted by the personnel.
According to the nurse in charge of the facility, Kenneth Kwame, sometimes personnel have used light from their phones to deliver babies.
“Our facility here has no lights, which sometimes means we have to do deliveries at night using our phones. Some admitted persons have to be on the bare floor. There is no water at the facility, we have to go to the riverside to fetch water and sometimes before you return you are exhausted. The community is not helping us.”
Aside from these, the facility is faced with other inconveniences like poor network reception and a bat invasion which makes the general ambiance very unappealing.
“The situation becomes unbearable in the hot afternoon because of the smells from the droppings of the bats that have taken over the facility,” Kenneth Kwame noted.
There is also some degree of neglect from the district health directorate.
The facility has been complaining of how its fuel allowance from the directorate is not forthcoming and how it is affecting their operations.
According to the nurses they used to receive GHc 200 or more from the district assembly but now receive GHc 80 from the directorate.
“We are unable to do our outreach programs, we used to receive fuel from the district assembly through the RING project and now the fuel allowances have been moved to the District Health Management which is not forthcoming. Sometimes it takes two to three months before something will come. The difference is also that, with the district assembly, we were given GHc 200, which were very regular and timely but now, for the DHM, it is GHc 80 and it’s not even regular.”
They have appealed to benevolent organizations and individuals to assist the facility with at least some basic equipment to help them in their service delivery.
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By: Mohammed Aminu M Alabira/citinewsroom.com/Ghana