Pavilions constructed for 3 Tema West child welfare clinics

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Tema West Constituency, Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, has handed over three pavilions to the Tema West Health Directorate to be used for child welfare clinics (CWC). 

The pavilions were constructed for the Tema Community Two Mangoase, Sakumono Estates and Lashibi communities to provide access to and promote health care and service delivery in the areas of antenatal and postnatal care for mothers and their babies.

The fully-furnished CWC, which is made up of a pavilion, office, store and washroom, will also serve as a place for weighing babies, as well as to engage mothers in learning through play methodology, which is vital for the development of children who are from zero to three years.

The MP also donated assorted medical equipment and consumables, as well as plastic chairs and tables, to all three CWCs to enhance operations at the centres.

Speaking during the handover of the CWC to the authorities of the Tema West Municipal Health Directorate at Community Two last Friday, Mr Ahenkorah expressed optimism that health outcomes in the area would improve as mothers patronised the facility.

Weather

He said he was moved to construct the pavilions when during one of his campaign tours, he saw nursing mothers and service providers enduring the discomfort of the rain because weighing was being carried out under trees.

One of the pavillions

He said because there was no proper facility for nursing mothers and service providers to seek shelter, the women and their babies were left at the mercy of the weather, adding that on another occasion, due to the lack of chairs, he saw nursing mothers standing while accessing antenatal and postnatal care.

He said so far three of such pavilions had already been constructed, with a fourth one being considered for the Adjei Kojo area, to provide access to and promote health care and service delivery in the Tema West Municipality.

Mr Ahenkorah said the major challenge was the access to land, but he was optimistic that through collaboration with community members, all the electoral areas would have similar pavilions constructed for CWC activities.

Appreciation

The Greater Accra Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, Vivian Gwira, expressed appreciation to the Tema West Constituency MP for providing the facility for the community, stressing that it would improve the healthcare needs of infants and mothers.

“You have reduced the pressure that was on us to provide this facility, and we are very grateful for this gesture,” she said. The Deputy Director of Nursing Services (DDNS) in charge of Tema West, Ivy Asoku, said the centres would improve child welfare clinic attendance and growth of children and also provide some level of comfort for nursing mothers and babies accessing CWC services.

Writer’s email: benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh