The Tema Manhean Polyclinic, located in the Tema Metropolis of the Greater Accra Region, has called on the government and philanthropists to help replace the leaking roofing of the facility.
Sections of the facility, including the Out Patients’ Department (OPD) and the offices leaks whenever it rains.
The health centre was originally constructed as a health post during Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia’s administration in the 1970s.
With the ever-growing population of the metropolis, due to increased industrial and commercial activities and settlements, the facility has come under immense pressure.
In November 2022, the facility was upgraded from a health centre into a polyclinic to provide a range of services to clients.
However, this upgrade did not come with a corresponding improvement of the facility.
Apart from the leakages, the Daily Graphic observed broken louvre blades, faulty doors, exposed electrical cables and visible cracks in the walls throughout the facility.
Staff on duty had to employ buckets to continuously collect rainwater from the leaking roof, to prevent the offices and other units from flooding, a situation which severely disrupted healthcare services.
Appeal
Patients in the OPD who spoke to the Daily Graphic also expressed similar distress about the hospital’s deplorable condition and urged the authorities to address the problem immediately.
The Administrator of the polyclinic, Stephen K. Agbenyo, in an interview with the Daily Graphic on the sidelines of a presentation of hospital consumables by the 2022/2023 National Service Personnel in Tema, appealed to the government to give the only health facility in the area a facelift to ease the pressure on it.
He emphasised the urgent need for re-roofing, acknowledging the financial challenge faced by the polyclinic in undertaking such a project.
Members of the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) in the Tema Metropolis as part of their service week celebration donated some hospital consumables, including gloves and disinfectants, among others, worth GH¢21,000 to the management of the polyclinic.
The President of the Tema Metro NASPA, Hamidu Apandago Mahamadu, said the gesture was their contribution as service personnel to create better health care and improve the overall living standards of the people of Tema Manhean.
He mentioned tree planting and clean-up exercises, blood donation, a series of webinars on personal branding and entrepreneurship, as well as a football gala, as some activities that were undertaken to mark the service week.
Mr Mahamadu added his voice to the call on stakeholders to come to the aid of the people of Tema Manhean, especially the Tema Manhean Polyclinic, to improve the living conditions of the people.
Stalled project
Meanwhile, the people of Tema Manhean have lamented the stalling of the new 100-bed health project for Tema Manhean.
In March 2020, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), in collaboration with the then MP for Tema East, Daniel Titus Glover, cut sod for the construction of a 100-bed ultramodern community clinic located adjacent to the existing facility.
The $2.5 million GNPC-funded 100-bed capacity hospital was to serve the people of Tema Manhean and its neighbouring communities.
A visit by the Daily Graphic to the site to assess the progress of work revealed that work had stalled.
When contacted Mr Titus Glover said work on the project had stalled because of lack of funds.
Source: Adomonline