MODERN HOSPITAL FOR TOLON/KUMBUNGU (PAGE 56)

HEALTHY people make a healthy nation. This factual phrase cannot be realised without the necessary health facilities, logistics, equipment and personnel to carry out effective health care services in any community.
Indeed, the Tolon/Kumbungu District is one of the most deprived areas in the Northern Region. It lacks a number of social amenities, including a decent hospital that can adequately serve the needs of the people, majority of whom are farmers.
As a result, most patients with complicated illnesses are always rushed to the Tamale Teaching Hospital, a distance of more than 16-kilometres for care, when they could have received similar treatment at their doorsteps.
According to the District Director of Health Services for the area, Mrs Denisig Kaara, the Tolon community and its surrounding areas had a population of more than 167,606 but unfortunately, the health centre alone in the area could not cater for the medical needs of the people.
It is for this reason of making health care services accessible to the people that, the initiative by an Austrian-based international NGO, Afreak Med Foundation, to put up a 50,000-euro ultra-modern hospital for the people must be commended.
The hospital would comprise an out-patient-department (OPD), male and female wards, a surgical theatre, a paediatric wing, pharmacy and a laboratory.
The project is the brainchild of Dr Bayer Stefan, a medical doctor based in Austria and Dr Kpangkpari Steve of the Catholic Hospital at Asankrangwa in the Western Region.
The Regent of Tolon (Gbang-Lana), Major (retd) Abubakari Sulemana, and his elders provided a 30-acre for the construction of the hospital, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2009.
The Gbang-Lana and Dr Bayer Stefan, leader of the NGO delegation, cut the sod for work to begin on the construction of the hospital in Tolon last week.
The chief commended the NGO for the decision to construct the hospital in that area, describing the initiative as a blessing to the people since their efforts to get such a facility over the years had not been successful.
He pledged his commitment and that of his elders to the successful completion of the project, which he hoped, would attract more professionals to the town to contribute towards the accelerated development of area.
The Gbang-Lana urged the people to endeavour to register with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to enable them to access free, affordable and quality health care.
For his part, Dr Stefan explained that several people, including tax payers from the benefactor’s country and elsewhere had contributed towards the idea of putting up the facility.
He expressed hope that when completed, the project would serve the health needs of the people.
Dr Stefan indicated that the project was to help foster closer relationship between the people of Austria and Ghana, and also bring change to the people of Tolon.
Mrs Kaara also welcomed the construction of the hospital, which, she said, would complement the services of the health centre.
She entreated the district assembly to sponsor more students into nurses training institutions to enable them to come out to serve the district.