Mamaga Ametor Hoebuadzu II, Paramount Queen of Alavanyo Traditional Area, has commissioned a maternity clinic in Alavanyo Dzogbedze in the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region to mark her 15th Anniversary as a Paramount Queen.

The maternity clinic christened, "St. Barbara Maternity Clinic" will provide maternal health care delivery to women in the Region and beyond.

Mamaga Ametor in a message during the Durbar to mark the anniversary, which was on the theme: "Promoting women development through better maternal health care delivery" noted that God had played a pivotal role in her life as a leader of the area.

"Today marks the start of my divine journey and the queenship ahead of me and I thank the good Lord for making this day possible, some may put it the second gear of a moving vehicle."

She encouraged "traditional leaders to be concerned about community development issues and must rise to their task especially through transformational and path goal leadership.

"We need traditional leaders that will die for the truth, principled leaders who will not cuddle people for the sake of their selfish gains and we need to wake up from our slumber."

Mamaga said she saw her queenship as a service to her community and humanity, to lead by serving and championing development and called for the physical and spiritual support of the community.

She called on the youth of the area not to allow themselves to be used by "dishonest politicians" and pledged the commitment of the traditional area to ensuring a peaceful election this year.

Dr. Pius Mensah, Medical Superintendent of the Hospital and Acting Municipal Health Director, said the maternity clinic had come at the appropriate time to augment government's efforts in providing the needed infrastructure for health care delivery especially in rural settlements.

He said the role of women in the development of society could not be overemphasized, adding that women contributed significantly to the socio-economic development of any country and investing in their health would have a positive impact.

Dr. Mensah pledged the Directorate's commitment to make sure the clinic was equipped with needed logistics and equipment to ensure optimal health care for all women and also urged pregnant women in the area and beyond to make the facility their "first place of choice".

Dr. Ngbwa Belinga Gabriel Patrick, an Orthopaedic Surgeon and a traditional leader from Cameroon commended Mamaga Ametor for her zeal to champion maternal health care delivery and called on management of the facility and the community to take care of it.

Togbe Petekwashi V, Chief of Alavanyo Dzogbedze said the community was grateful for the facility gifted it by the Paramount Queen.

He pledged the community's support for proper maintenance of the facility to the benefit of women in the Region and beyond.

The project, which had support from the GCB Bank Limited in collaboration with the Bank of Ghana was built at an estimated cost of GH¢367,752.00.

Alhaji Mohammed Mipo Osmanu, Volta and Oti Regional Manager of GCB Bank Limited, said as part of the Bank's corporate social responsibility, it was interested in addressing maternal health issues hence the support of the Bank.

He said the Bank would also help in supplying some needed equipment as well as carry out renovation works if the need be, while urging the facility users to take maximum care of the clinic.