Botogena, Oct 26, GNA- Dr Linda Van Otoo, Western Regional Director, Ghana Health Services, on Tuesday extolled basic health practices such as hand washing, resting, and drinking of water and proper eating as the way and means to curb the rise in diseases prevalence.

She said the health of the people in a particular area was its wealth and that all efforts must be geared towards building strong and healthy society through good health care practices. Dr Van Otoo was commissioning a 70, 000 thousand pound hospital at Botogena near Shama in the Western Region.

The Hospital christen: 'Living Well Ghana Medical Centre' was funded by a team of Pastors and church members from the Assemblies of God Church in the United Kingdom and would provide health care services to 14 communities.

Rev Dr Paul Dsane, Deputy General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Ghana, who initiated the project recounted how the rural folks trek over long distances to access health care. He noted that the situation prompted him to solicit support in 2005 from the church's partners in the United Kingdom to make life meaningful for the people. Rev Dr Dsane said the church has plans of establishing a Nurses Training College to feed the hospital. Rev. Paul Johnson, leader of the UK delegation, promised to support the communities with other development projects and urged them to make good use of the facility.