UE/R: Lack of basic medical equipment affecting health care delivery at Kanania CHPS compound

The unavailability of basic medical equipment at the Kanania Community-based Health Planning and Service (CHPS) compound in the Kassena-Nankana West District in the Upper East Region is denying the community’s over 2,000 population access to good health care.

The CHPS compound, which also serves the health needs of residents of adjoining communities including Abulu, Kalvio and Gwenia, faces a serious lack of important basic equipment such as thermometers, Blood Pressure monitors, delivery beds, resuscitation kits, among others needed for its daily operation.

The facility’s building is also in a deplorable state, particularly a tiny room where child deliveries are conducted.

Bernice Baapoe, a resident, told a local reporter, Senyalah Castro that the challenges have made the facility unattractive to visit for health needs as they fear they would not be properly cared for. She said they now rely on the Chiana Health Centre when they need critical services for serious conditions.

She, however, said, “but the health centre in Chiana is also very far. That one is in the town. Sometimes, you have to walk there if you don’t find means by the roadside. Unless on a market day, the means is a problem.”

Management

The midwife of the CHPS who also is the in-charge, Sara Apokerah, speaking to the reporter, said the unavailability of equipment was hampering the provision of critical health services to clients, especially pregnant women.

She noted that important facilities such as delivery beds which are needed to support pregnant women go through labour safely are not in the CHPS compound.

“In terms of delivery facilities, things should be there to help me carry out my work without any problem are not there. I don’t have other important things like BP apparatus. I don’t have thermometers, resuscitation kits and other important equipment.”

The in-charge said major successes have, however, been achieved at the CHPS in terms of child delivery in the face of all the challenges. She stressed that the facility will continuously prioritize the wellbeing of residents by providing good healthcare services.

She appealed to the government through the Kassena-Nankana West District Assembly to take urgent steps to improve conditions at the CHPS compound to enable residents have access to critical health services. She also extended her appeal to corporate Ghana and Non-Governmental Organizations to support their CHPS.

“Even though there are problems since I came here one and half year ago, we have been able to deliver a lot of babies without complications. I, therefore, wish to appeal to the district assembly and government to come and help us. They should come and improve the conditions at the facility so that we will be able to carry out our work without problems,” the mid-wife appealed.

Renovation

Ayiwuuri Rockson Achobah, the assemblyman for the area, decried the deteriorating state of the CHPS and called for the government’s intervention to renovate it.

He said since the facility was constructed, it has not received a facelift leading to its current condition.

Ayiwuuri said the location of the CHPS has made it a preferred health facility for residents from adjoining communities which called for it to be upgraded and improved to enable it serve the health needs of the teeming numbers.

He said the Kanania community which has always initiated support for the CHPS compound will continue in their efforts to make health care services accessible to residents.

“When I came to power, i thought it wise that we needed a midwife, so we raised a temporary structure for the midwife and now she is delivering and she is doing well. Since she came, we have not recorded an incident of bad delivery. The major problem however has to do with the lack of equipment and the building. It needs a facelift. When that is done, it will help Kanania and other communities because if not this one (CHPS) there is no any CHPS from here to Chiana Town.”