GMA Strike: Private hospitals brace up for more patients

Private health facilities across the Volta region are bracing up to contain the excess number of patients who will troop to the facilities for medical care due to the ongoing strike by doctors in the government hospitals.

The strike declared by the Ghana Medical Association last week, is set to take a deep bite on patients who will turnout at the various government health facilities, as the doctors in region withdrawn out patients services.

This, situation is therefore expected to put pressure on both private and faith-based facilities, as patients throng these facilities for treatment.

Managers of such facilities have, however expressed their readiness to carter for the anticipated high turnouts in the coming days, when Volta Online toured some of the facilities within the Ho municipality.

Elorm Ocloo-Dzaba of Foresight Medical centre and Mawuena Letsa of Miracle Life Hospital, both told Volta Online in separate interviews that their outfits are prepared for any eventualities.

"We are ready for any event, whatever the case… our staff are on standby to attend to both NHIS and non NHIS clients,” they assured.

Dozens displace by weekend Rainstorm

Hundreds of families in South Tongu, Ketu-North and Ho municipalities of the Volta Region were rendered homeless, a rainstorm swept through some communities in the three districts, over the weekend.

Roofs of some basic schools were also ripped off, disrupting educational activities in the affected communities.

According to information from the National Disaster Management Organisation, (NADMO) the rain storm swept through Hodzo in the Ho municipality days earlier and destroyed the roof of a 6-unit classroom block in addition to few individual houses.

Similar destructions were experienced at and Devego in the Ketu-North district, the storm hit there and South Tongu district on the Saturday.

Three communities, Agbagorme, Agbakorpe and Lakpo were worst affected, with 92 homes and three schools destroyed.

GUMP Project to transform Ho- MCE

The Ho Municipality is set to see some major facelifts this New Year, following the commencement of some infrastructural projects in the area by government under the Ghana Urban Management Pilot Project (GUMPP).

The projects comprising the construction a modern abattoir, an engineer landfill site, and the reconstruction of the Ho Central market at a cost of 28 million Ghana cedis is scheduled for completion in November this year.

Speaking with VoltaOnline, the Ho Municipal Chief Executive Mrs. Fafa Adinyira described the projects as the ‘game changer’ for the municipality.

She explained that central market which will be transformed into a modern one will have a total of 232 shops with warehousing and ancillary facilities such as a clinic, fire and police posts.

“Time period we’ve given to the constructors is one actually year, from November, 2014 to November, 2015 the project must be completed.. So we’re going to see a new face of Ho in the market area and the other two projects, the abattoir and landfill site hopefully will also be completed.”

New school block for Tanyigbe-Anyigbe

A 3-unit classroom block with office and store has been commissioned at the Tanyigbe-Anyigbe M.A Basic School in the Ho Municipality.

The school block which was constructed by the Council of Ewe Association of North America (CEANA) at the cost GH¢ 100,000 replace a fifty year old dilapidated structure which had become a death trap.

Mrs. Rose Quarshie, former Executive Director of CEANA, said the project is part of group’s contribution towards quality education delivery in the community and urged the parents invest in the education of their wards.

She said the group, which is made up of Ewes from Benin, Togo and Ghana, based in United State and Canada  has the objective of providing social intervention projects in health, education, water and sanitation across communities in all three countries.

Mr Francis Ganyaglo Deputy Volta Regional Minister commended CEANA for complementing government’s efforts in ensuring the delivery of accessible quality education.