Abokyikrom (E/R), April 22, GNA - Mr Yaw Barimah, the Eastern Regional Minister, has said that though it was the desire of the government to send health care services to the doorsteps of deprived rural communities, progress would be slow if government would be solely relied upon for such services.

He congratulated the Birim North District for collaborating with non-governmental organizations, individuals and the communities to assume responsibility for their own health needs by building their own Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Centres. This was contained in a speech read on behalf of Mr Barimah at the inauguration of the 11th CHPS centre for the Birim North District at Abokyikrom on Friday.

He expressed his appreciation to Mr S. G. Osei, based in Holland and the wife, for mobilizing resources to support the construction of the CHPS centre.

The couple also built a six-unit classroom block and teachers' quarters for the people of Abokyikrom and surrounding communities. The Member of Parliament for New Abirim, Ms Esther Obeng Dapaah, called for the empowerment of women to enable them contribute their quota to the social economic development of the society. Mr Emmanuel Nana Frempong Acquah, the Birim North District Chief Executive, said the district assembly wanted qualified candidates to sponsor them in tertiary institutions and urged parents who had such children to get in touch with the assembly.

Dr Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyirah, the Eastern Regional Director of Health Services, said the greatest challenge facing the Ghana Health Service in the region was how to reduce maternal mortality and death among children less than five years in the region. He said last year the region recorded 157 maternal deaths and death of 1025 children less than five years.

Dr Appiah-Denkyirah called on the people in the district to accept and use the health knowledge that would be provided them by the nurses who would be stationed at the CHPS centre.