By Christopher Tetteh
Nkrankwanta, (Bono), July 01, GNA-Government workers, mostly health personnel, in the Dormaa West District of the Bono Region have expressed concern about high rent charges, discouraging their stay to work in the district.
They told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview at Nkrankwanta, the district capital that they could not cope with the situation any longer, calling for government intervention.
Checks show that a year’s rent charge for a single room at Nkrankwanta was not less than GHC7,000.
However, some of the landlords also told the GNA that they had increased the rent charges due to the increment in the prices of building materials in the area, including sand and gravels.
Nana Takyi Peprah, the Akwansra Amankorahene (sub-chief) of the Dormaa Traditional Area noted that the cost of living at Nkrankwanta, a cocoa growing town, was becoming too high.
He explained that the trip of sand was now costing between GHC1,200 and GHC1,500 depending on the location, however, appealed to landlords to do something about the rent charges and to encourage the workers to stay and to accept postings to serve.
Nana Peprah said: “The government workers and health care providers in particular are here to serve us, and we shouldn’t do anything to discourage their stay because that is going to affect us”.
“We need more nurses and medical officers to cater for our health needs. So, we shouldn’t make life uncomfortable for them here”, he stated. Mr Daniel Owusu-Amponsah, the Dormaa West District Director of Health Services, told the GNA that the “rent charges are affecting our staff strength”, explaining that some critical staff and health personnel had left the district.
He said the Government hospital in the area required urgent expansion as well as modern medical devices and equipment to meet the health demand needs of the growing population.
When contacted, Mr Stephen Azorba Awuni, the Dormaa West District Chief Executive said the Assembly in collaboration with Mr Vincent Oppong Asamoah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area would soon commence work on the construction of a 10,000-housing unit project in the area.
He therefore appealed to the government workers in the area to endeavour to cope with the
situation for now.
GNA
Edited by Dennis Peprah/Kenneth Odeng Adade