Accra, July 22, GNA - The Member of Parliament for Wulensi in the Nanumba District of the Northern Region, Mr Wumbei Karim has expressed concern about the precarious health status of the district that has made the people resort to self-medication or to quack doctors for their health needs. He said the nearest hospital to Wulensi the constituency headquarters, is at Yendi, which is 96 kilometres away and the Salaga hospital, which has no motorable road link. Mr Karim said this in his maiden statement made in Parliament on Tuesday on the "Health status of Nanumba District and its effects on the people".

The member said seasonal outbreaks of cholera and cerebro-spinal meningitis (CSM) often take its toll on the lives of the people and because of the lack of a hospital in the district, these otherwise preventable deaths are often blamed on poor women for being the cause of such often untimely deaths through witchcraft. Mr Karim said many pregnant and women in labour have died on their way to the hospitals, while countless snake bitten victims have perished on their way to the nearby hospitals. The MP used the occasion to thank all those who supported and contributed to his winning the Wulensi seat, especially members of the NDC and the ruling NPP.

Mr Karim said the people of Nanum are leading producers of yam and Nanumba is among the eight oldest districts in the Northern Region but lacks several social services. He said the roads linking the Wulensi constituency with the two District hospitals are the worst in the region with most of them especially the road linking Yendi and Wulensi and Wulensi to Salaga have never had any major repairs since they were constructed in the colonial era.

Mr Karim said the upgrading of the Bimbilla Health Centre to a District Hospital that has been on the drawing board since the 1980's is now underway and it is now about 80 per cent complete. The member on his behalf and the people of Nanum thanked President Kufuor for recognising the importance of the people of the district and their contributions towards national development by seeing to the upgrading of the District Hospital. Mr Karim appealed to the Minister of Roads and Transport to, as a matter of urgency, consider the upgrading and rehabilitation of the roads in the district to save the people from their ordeal.

Mr A.M. Seidu, NDC- Wa Central said there was the need for particular attention to be paid to health facilities in the Northern sector, especially the rural communities so that health status do not affect their productivity.

Mr K.A. Kyeremateng, NPP-Afigya-Sekyere East said government should expedite action so that the Bimbilla Hospital was completed on schedule to help improve health care delivery in the area. Alhaji Amadu Ali, NDC- Atebubu South said government should open up the Nanumba District with the construction of more roads to link the major yam and other cereal producing areas in the area. He said the education sector needed support and improvement in the District since most of teachers and other government officials vacated their posts following the ethnic conflict and most schools are now without teachers to ensure effective teaching and learning.