Regional News of Wednesday, 21 July 2004

Source: GNA

International NGO helps build clinic for Dakpam

Dakpam, (NR), July 21, GNA - The World Servants Europe (WSE), a Holland-based NGO, has handed over a 300 million-cedi clinic to the Assemblies of God Development and Relief Services (AGREDS) at Dakpam in the Nanumba District of the Northern Region.

The clinic, which comprises a dispensary, consulting room, store, kitchen, bathroom and an attachment for the health officer in charge of the facility, was a collaborative effort of WSE and AGREDS.

Mr Henk Vegt, leader of the Dutch NGO who handed over the keys of the clinic to AGREDS at Dakpam on Wednesday, said the project was meant to save the people of Dakpam and its surrounding villages from travelling about 20 kilometres to Bimbilla for medical care.

Mr Steve Abarika, the Project Coordinator of WSE, who received the keys to the clinic, advised the beneficiaries of the project to desist from self-medication and report to the clinic with their ailments. Alhaji Sani Iddi, Nanumba District Chief Executive, commended the two organisations for their interventions in the areas of health, agriculture and education, which he said, had greatly improved the socio-economic well being of the people.

He, however, appealed to the NGOs to assist the assembly to construct a clinic at the "Witches Home" at Kukuo, a suburb of Bimbilla. He announced that the Nanumba District Assembly had spent more than 200 million cedis in the construction of nurses' quarters and rural clinics at Nakpayili and Juanayili.

The assembly had also provided 500 million cedis from the HIPC Fund to cater for the medical exemptions of the aged and maternity cases.