Member of Parliament (MP) for Garu Constituency in the Upper East Region, Hon. Albert Alalzuuga Akuka, has called on government to help complete a district hospital which was started by the erstwhile Mahama administration to bring healthcare to the door-step of the people.

According to him, the lack of easy access to health facilities in the Garu-Tempane District was affecting the economic wellbeing of the people in the district.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Today on the out-break of meningitis in his district, the Garu lawmaker explained that the lack of easy access to health facilities accounted for the huge number of cases reported so far.

“As I speak to you now available records received from the District Health Directorate has it that there are 18 suspected cases with two deaths and the number can even be more,” he lamented.

Hon. Akuka further explained that even though there are some private clinics in the area, the nearest referral hospital was the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital which is about 28 kilometres from the district.

Apart from the long distance, he added that the road was also unmotorable.

“This is why we are appealing to government to speed up the construction of the district hospital which has been abandoned. I have been reliably informed the contractor working on the project has left site,” Hon. Akuka claimed.

The MP also called on the ministry of health to send medical supply to the area as a matter of urgency as there were reports that some essential medicines were not available in stock.