By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Agusi (U/E), Nov 15, GNA – A 50-bed capacity state-of-the-art mother and child hospital has been inaugurated in Sumbrungu-Agusi, a suburb of the Bolgatanga Municipality in Upper East Region.
The facility was constructed and handed over by the Engage Now Africa, a Non-Governmental Organisation in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service with funding from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The maternity hospital which is fitted with modern facilities, has a malnutrition consulting area, labour and delivery rooms, pediatric care, postpartum, pharmacy, observation area, laboratory, emergency obstetrics and nurses’ quarters.
The facility would serve as a municipal maternity hospital and would offer enhanced essential healthcare services to the people of the Upper East Region and beyond with special focus on mother and child health.
Speaking at the inauguration at Sumbrungu-Agusi, Mr Kofi Sosu, Area Seventy, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said the construction of the facility was a testament to the power of collaboration and the Church’s commitment to follow the footsteps of their master, Jesus Christ.
“We strive to love our neighbours through Christlike service,” he said and added that “this project embodies that principle. We are humbled to contribute to the well-being of our brothers and sisters in this community.”
The Area Seventy expressed the optimism that the hospital with its innovative facilities was a sanctuary of hope, a haven of healing, and a symbol of their shared humanity that had the potential to provide improved healthcare services to the over 1.3 million people in the Upper East Region.
“As a Church, we have the conviction that through these donations, we’re pleased to strengthen the clinic’s capacity to provide quality healthcare services to all who need them.”
We trust that this new edifice will ensure that mothers and newborns receive excellent care, promoting safer deliveries, reduced maternal and infant mortality, healthier starts for families,” he added.
Dr Lynette W. Gay, Founder and Chair of Board of Engage Now Africa, said the goal of the organisation was to strengthen families and communities through enhanced support to save lives.
Dr Gay believed that the hospital would support the country’s health targets to provide effective healthcare services and protect women and children and added that her outfit would continue to support initiatives that would bring relief to the vulnerable.
Madam Cecilia Amankwah, Country Director, Engage Now Africa, said through this gesture, the organisation sought to contribute to alleviating vulnerable families out of poverty by providing them with affordable and enhanced healthcare.
“This is not the only thing we have done in the Upper East Region,” she said, indicating that “we have done over 100 boreholes in the region and currently are mechanising them so that we can have quick access to water to improve education and health”, she added.
Mr Stephen Bordotsiah, Bolgatanga Municipal Director, Ghana Health Service, said the hospital was the first of its kind in the municipality with various specialised units and expressed the conviction that, it would significantly boost healthcare delivery in the region.
“We have identified the staff who are going to work in the hospital…so hopefully at the beginning of the year, January, we should move in and start service provision,” he added.
Mr Rex Asanga, Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive, thanked Engage Now Africa, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and their partners for the support and said it would improve maternal and child health in the area.
Dr Hafiz Bin-Salih, Upper East Regional Minister, said the facility would contribute to the country’s efforts to achieving universal health coverage and the sustainable development goals, particularly goal three which puts emphasis on access to quality healthcare for all by 2030.
GNA