Ahead of Ahorbaa Kese Akwambo Festival: Gomoa Fetteh solicits support for polyclinic
The Chief of Gomoa Fetteh in the Central Region, Nana Abor Atta II, has appealed for support for the construction of a well-equipped health facility to boost visits to the picturesque tourist community.
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He said a well-equipped polyclinic would enhance the community's profile as a preferred tourist destination.
At the launch of the community's annual Ahorbaa Kese Akwambo Festival, Nana Atta II called for support to expand the CHPS compound which is the only health centre in the area into a polyclinic to meet the growing demands of the people.
He said despite Gomoa Fetteh's potential as a burgeoning tourist destination, the community lacked a well-equipped health facility to adequately take care of both residents and visitors.
He observed that the current facility was ill-equipped to handle emergencies involving residents and tourists.
This year's festival which starts from August 22, 2024 and ends on September 1, 2024 would be celebrated on the theme: "One people, One goal".
It is expected to attract hundreds of patrons from all walks of life to visit the community to experience its rich cultural heritage.
Development
Nana Abor Atta also called on natives both in and outside the community to support the developmental agenda by the chiefs and people of the area.
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"Our people have been struggling for a well-equipped clinic for a long time," he stated.
Already, he said, the chiefs and the community members had decided to embark on the construction of a six-unit bungalow for nurses in the area to ease the accommodation problem facing health personnel in the area.
"My concern is that even if tourists visit the area and they fall ill we don't have a well-equipped facility to take care of them and so we must wake up and expand the facility,” he stated.
He said an expansion of the facility must include auxiliary units such as a pharmacy unit, delivery ward, a female and a male ward.
"We are hoping to expand the facility into a modern polyclinic to take care of the huge numbers and this is a vision for this year's festival,” he added.
Nana Abor Atta said the traditional council had made several appeals for support but had not received much response, stressing that the community was committed to complete the facility and possibly upgrade it to a polyclinic.
"Over the years, the community's CHPS compound, which is inadequately equipped, has struggled to meet the growing population and we need to do something about it, which is the reason for this drive,” Nana Abor Atta said.
Rebranding
Beyond these concerns he said the traditional council was also troubled by the misrepresentation of the Ahorbaa Kese Akwambo Festival being misbranded as "Atopa" festival by some of the town's youth.
The mischaracterisation depicts a promiscuous dance, distorting the true cultural significance of the festival where women historically honoured men returning from battle with a dance.
"As custodians of tradition we believe this negative portrayal is harming the area's tourism potential. As a traditional authority we are ready to preserve and accurately present the community's unique cultural heritage," he said, adding that this year's festival would be used to correct the narrative.