*With health centre

Story: Kwabena AKYEANA

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has lauded World Vision Ghana, an international Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), for being supportive of the country’s agenda to achieve universal health coverage.

Dr. Patrick Kumah-Aboagye, the Director-General, said the provision of some essential aids by the Organization to augment comprehensive healthcare services, especially in deprived communities, was laudable.

“The goodwill and commitment shown by World Vision even in the wake of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus cannot be overlooked given the positive impact on the lives of the people,” he noted.

Dr. Kumah-Aboagye was inaugurating the Modaso Health Centre near Diaso in the Upper Denkyira-West District of the Central Region, constructed at an estimated cost of over GH¢472,351.77.

The project was executed by World Vision Ghana in collaboration with World Vision Germany, and supported by some German-based philanthropists, including; Mr. and Mrs. Hans Jurgen, and Andrea Inden.

The Health Centre is equipped to provide 24-hour healthcare services covering general Out-Patient-Department (OPD) attendances, sexual and reproductive health, child health, minor surgeries, HIV testing and counselling and would boost healthcare services at Modaso and nearby communities at Upper Denkyira-West.

Dr. Kumah-Aboagye stated that: “Investment in health means investment in the productivity and socio-economic growth of the Ghanaian society.”

Consequently, it was imperative that the government deepened its partnership with the corporate sector to build and strengthen the structures required for the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on health.

The Health Centre, according to him, fell in line with the vision to decentralize healthcare services for the benefit of the citizenry.

Mr. Jean-Claude Mukadi, Senior Director of Operations, World Vision-West Africa Region, said although important progress had been made in the last two decades concerning maternal and child health, “the number of deaths are still unacceptably high.”

Citing a World Health Organization (WHO) report, he said 295,000 women died during and following pregnancy and childbirth in 2017.

This scenario, in his view, called for a collaborative effort by stakeholders to tackle the mortalities, saying the NGO would continue to campaign for safe delivery.

Mr. Dickens Thunde, National Director, World Vision Ghana, said the Organization had in the last 42 years been supportive of projects meant to promote the cause of humanity and the health facility, therefore, demonstrated the authorities’ dedication to enhance the wellbeing of the beneficiaries.