...for health delivery on islands

Simpoa (E/R), Dec. 30, GNA - The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Kwahu District Health Service had donated two outboard-motors to the Kwahu South District Health Service to enhance effective health delivery to communities on 40 islands on the Afram Lake, near Simpoa. The WHO donated 30-million-cedi outboard motor while that of the Kwahu District District Health Service cost 10 million cedis. The WHO's donation followed an appeal made to its officials who visited the area last year to interact with officials of the District Health Service.

Presenting the outboard motors to the District Health Service at Simpoa, the Eastern Regional Director of the GHS, Dr. Ebenezer Appiah Denkyira, advised health officials to educate the people on preventive measures such as sanitation, immunization, nutrition and exercise of the body to avoid diseases instead of acquiring the disease before seeking medical treatment.

He urged the health officials in the area to put the boat to effective use, especially to immunize children on the islands against the six-childhood killer diseases and offer other health delivery systems for the people to avoid maternal and infant death. Dr. Appiah-Denkyira urged them to ensure regular maintenance of the boat to solve the health needs of the people on the islands. The District Director of Health Services, Dr Joseph Larbi Opare, said the motors would ensure accessible and equitable health delivery services on the island, which, hitherto had been found to be difficult to extend to the people due to accessibility. He advised the people on the islands to patronize the health delivery system that would be offered to them by the health officials in the boat and avoid receiving treatment from quack doctors which invariably tended to affect their health. The Kwahu South District Chief Executive, Nana Kofi Onwona Asante who received the outboard motors on behalf of the District Health Service, advised the people to take advantage of the boat and register with the Okwahuman Health Insurance Scheme to ensure affordable health care.

He advised parents to take advantage of the capitation grant to send their children to school to acquire the requisite knowledge to be responsible adults.

The DCE also advised them to avoid setting of bush fires.