Aprolonged water problem that has negatively impacted healthcare delivery at the Saltpond Municipal Hospital in the Mfantseman Municipality will soon end, following a sod-cutting ceremony last Friday for a Sustainable Water Project.
The project, spearheaded by the Mfantseman–Saltpond Development Alliance (MSDA), seeks to deliver a reliable, clean and continuous water supply to the hospital through an underground water system, a solar-powered pumping unit, and high-capacity storage tanks.
The sod-cutting ceremony, held at the hospital on the theme “Rebuilding, Reconnecting, Rising Together,” brought together traditional leaders, engineers, health officials, security personnel, students, and community members.
Engineers are already on site to commence the project.
Water crisis
The Administrator of the Saltpond Municipal Hospital, Paul Amponsah, disclosed that from October 2024 to March 2025, the hospital faced a severe water crisis, and that " it got to a point that we were spending GH₵4,000 on water weekly."
He said the situation became so dire that patients were required to bring their own water for treatment and staff had to travel as far as Winneba to bring in water.
He lamented that the crisis affected patronage and service delivery, causing many to lose confidence in the hospital.
He thanked the MSDA for the decision to work together to end the dire water situation at the hospital.
Infrastructural problems
Mr Amponsah stated that the 105-year-old facility, built as the second hospital in Ghana, was facing serious infrastructural problems beyond water challenges.
He said that the maternity block of the hospital was collapsing and urgently needed renovation, adding that the facility’s storage room had been declared unsafe by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), due to its deplorable state.
As a result, the hospital’s supplies have had to be kept in the storerooms of the various departments.
Mr Amponsah appealed to the government, traditional leaders and philanthropists to come to the hospital’s aid, especially in expanding the maternal and children’s block.
More than water
The Founder and President of MSDA, Ernest De-Graft Egyir, said the project represented more than just a water solution.
“For many years, the Saltpond Municipal Hospital, our main healthcare facility, has struggled with a chronic water shortage that has affected medical care, sanitation and daily operations.
Today, we are taking a bold and lasting step to change that story,” he said.
He explained that the initiative was designed to make the hospital self-sufficient through a sustainable water system powered by solar energy and integrated into the existing water distribution network.
He praised members of the MSDA, both at home and abroad, for their commitment to the project, describing it as a model of community-driven development.
“This is not just a water project; it is an engineering solution that guarantees a reliable and continuous water supply to sustain healthcare delivery. It is a testament to what unity and purpose can achieve,” he stated.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Mfantsiman, Isaac Stanley Acquah, commended the MSDA for the initiative and called for stronger collaboration to bring more development to the municipality.
He acknowledged the hospital’s poor condition, describing it as undeserving for a community that has contributed significantly to Ghana’s growth.
The MCE also appealed for support to fix the town’s roads and other infrastructure.
Gratitude
The Chief of Saltpond, Nana Gyan Akwanda VII, expressed gratitude to the MSDA and all those who would contribute to the project.
He stated that the hospital, built in 1920, had served the municipality faithfully but could no longer accommodate the growing population.
He urged the government to complete the new hospital structure and hand it to the hospital, while providing additional facilities to meet the rising health demands.
The Municipal Director of Health Services, Mfantsiman District, Gifty Ankrah, recounted how the hospital suffered severely during the cholera outbreak due to the water shortage.
“Even expectant mothers who came to deliver were not spared.
The situation was heartbreaking,” she said.
She thanked the MSDA for its intervention and called on other benevolent organisations to support the facility.
Patients’ feedback
A visitor, Kojo Bentsir, who brought her mother to the hospital, described the project as timely and lifesaving, expressing hope that it would restore the hospital’s efficiency and attract more patients.
"I remember when I delivered my second child last year.
My husband and I cried uncontrollably, regretting our decision to come here instead of going to Cape Coast.
The water crisis was so severe and we pray that the project is completed early," Abena Adubea, another patient, said.
