Nyankumam gets new clinic
Work on a GH₵200,000 clinic project has been completed by the Sekondi Diocese of the Anglican Church in the Western Region for the people of Nyankumam, a predominantly cocoa farming community, near Enchi in the Aowin-Suaman District also in the region.
The clinic is expected to also serve about 119 surrounding hamlets around it whose inhabitants are in dire need of medical attention
The successful completion of the project, formed part of the church's avowed commitment to complement the government's desire to meet the health care needs of the people and also in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) in the health sector.
The United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG) in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United Thank Offering (UTO) of the United States of America (USA), supported the efforts of the diocese to complete the facility.
It is the first of many initiatives to be executed by the diocese within the next couple of years.
Rt. Rev. Alexander Kobina Asmah, the Sekondi Anglican Diocesan Bishop, who performed the inauguration and handing over ceremony, expressed his profound gratitude and appreciation to the traditional authorities in the area for providing a space to enable the church carry out the clinic project.
He gave an assurance that the church, in collaboration with the authorities of the regional and district health directorates would also provide the necessary health requirements that would enable the clinic to function satisfactorily.
"The Anglican Church has come to stay in the Aowin-Suaman District to serve as it has already granted Enchi an Archdeaconry status. The evangelical aspects as well as our corporate social responsibilities will now be served to foster the growth of Anglicanism in this area," Rt. Rev Asmah further assured.
Biblical reference/NHIS
Referring to the Bible, the Anglican Bishop noted that provision of the facility was in fulfilment of the great commission, where the Lord Jesus Christ went through the towns, preaching and at the same time healing everywhere.
Rt. Rev. Asmah, however, indicated that the church was yet to operate under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and, therefore, appealed to the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) to expedite action on the formalities that would make the clinic benefit from the NHIS.
The District Director of Health Services, Madam Rita A. Attah appealed to expectant mothers to seek both ante-natal and post-natal care from qualified health professionals so as to forestall pre and post natal complications.
DCE commendation
Mr Samuel Adu Gyamfi, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area commended religious organizations that were desirous to partner the government in providing economic and social infrastructure to better the living conditions of the people in the various communities.
He also gave an assurance that the assembly would provide the needed assistance to the church that would make the project sustainable to serve the current and future generations.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mr Mathias Ntow, pledged to provide GHC 11, 000.00 as his contribution towards the maximum and successful operation of the clinic, and commended the leadership of the church for its spiritual and physical healing services to the people.
CHAG core mandate
Mr Samuel Nublega, the Human Resource Manager of the CHAG explained that the core mandate of the association was to improve accessibility of the poor to affordable health care delivery in a bid to meet the SDGs.
He stressed that the CHAG was very instrumental in health care delivery and would, therefore, make every effort to make the church to register with the NHIS.