Solidaridad builds CHPs compound for Ekorso

Solidaridad, an international civil society organisation, has constructed a Community Health and Planning Services compound (CHPS) at Ekorso in the Eastern Region as part of initiatives to support quality healthcare in Ghana.

The initiative falls under the organisation’s social responsibility programme dubbed “Solidaridad Partnering for Better Livelihoods in the Gold Supply Chain.” It is expected that more than 2000 people, who hitherto had to journey to Obosuo, a distance of five kilometres away to access healthcare services, would no longer have to do so.

The facility was constructed at a cost of GH¢204,881. Funding for the project was from Key Empire Mining Company, a gold mining firm. 

The newly established CHPS compound has a dispensary, maternity unit, an Out-Patient Department (OPD), as well as accommodation for two health personnel who would provide critical health services.

When the health facility begins operating, the people of Ekorso, a mining and farming community in the Atiwa District, will have ready access to quality health care to effectively address their basic health needs. 

The staff of the hospital would be expected to pay home visits, conduct medical outreach programmes and vaccinations, as well as undertake health education activities. 

Besides the Ekorso communities, other neighbouring communities such as Akyem Mampong also stand to benefit from the facility. 

Inauguration 

The Regional Director of Solidaridad West Africa, Mr Isaac Gyamfi, inaugurated the facility during which he said the “Partnering for Better Livelihoods in the Gold Supply Chain” project began three years ago with the objective of improving the livelihoods of small-scale miners and mining communities.

He submitted that small-scale mining communities housed a considerably high number of migrant workers and often relatively young people who had moved away from their home and were engaged in dangerous jobs. 

“In order to improve accessibility to healthcare, Solidaridad signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Atiwa District Assembly and the Atiwa District Health Directorate to provide a CHPS compound at Ekorso.