By Philip Tengzu
Dalanyiri (UW/R), July 14, GNA – The residents of Dalanyiri, a farming community in the Wa West District, have appealed to stakeholders to consider helping connect the community to the national electricity grid to make the operation of the health facility in the community effective.
The Northern Development Authority (NDA) commissioned a newly constructed Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound for the community about a week ago.
However, Mr Martin Kyaakpe, a resident, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview that due to lack of electricity in the community, delivering health service at night was a challenge.
He said providing electricity to the facility would encourage the health personnel who would be posted there to stay as well as save them from operating with torchlights during emergencies at night.
Essential drugs such as anti-snake medicines could not also be stored due to the unavailability of electricity.
“We thank the authorities for giving us this facility but what we appeal for is that they should connect it to electricity.
There are some services that the nurses need to use electricity to provide. Even at night, they need electricity to work,” Mr Kyaakpe explained.
Mr Stephen Saator Gbul, the Assembly Member of the Dornye Electoral Area, told the GNA that four communities – Dalanyiri, Meguo, Dochire, and Sorkyileyiri – were expected to rely on that CHPS facility for health service access.
Mr Gbul, who is the Presiding Member of the Wa West District Assembly, said the Assembly was in talks with the Ministry of Energy to consider extending electricity to the community.
The residents also said the lack of electricity was affecting the academic performance of the school children in the area.
Madam Elizabeth David, another resident, said the children were unable to study at night, while others used torchlights to study.
She said they could only charge their mobile phones either at Wechiau, the Wa West District capital or Kalba at a fee.
“If we have lights here, we can also put some pure water in the fridge and sell it to get something to cater for our children,” Madam David added.
On his part, Mr Bismark Molo, another resident, observed that the situation had also increased the insecurity of the community members as “crimes are easily committed in the dark.”
GNA