Residents of Maase community in the Wa West District are elated over the completion and handing over of a Community-based Health and Planning Services (CHPS) compound.

The Construction firm, SY Enterprise, had handed over the facility to the District Assembly for onward handing over to the Wa West District Health Directorate.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Madam Tagaasori Dampuori, a resident of Maase, said the full operationalisation of the facility would help reduce the drudgery the community members, especially pregnant women, go through to access health care services.

According to her, pregnant women and children had to travel several kilometers to Wechaiu or Dorimon to access health care services, which she said posed a threat to their lives.

Mr Yussif Badia Zimbe, Assembly Member for the Sigri Electoral Area, said the Maase CHPS facility would bring relief to the people as there was only one health facility in the electoral area.

“We are happy that they are opening this CHPS compound, when a woman is to deliver we have to put her in a motor-king (tricycle) and send her to Dorimon, sometimes they deliver on the way”, he stated.

He noted that the facility would serve about four communities in the electoral area – Paala, Kyietanga, and Nyose communities, as well as neighbouring Burkina Faso.

He, however, said the poor road network in the electoral area would be a major setback to the effective delivery and access to health care services in the area if not repaired.

The Assembly Member gave the assurance that they would see to the good maintenance of the facility and support the health staff that would be posted to the facility to deliver their services effectively.

Construction of the Maase CHPS compound, which started in 2016 and was expected to be completed in 2017, was delayed partly due to lack of funding.