The abandoned polyclinic project in Vieri is increasingly undermining healthcare delivery in the Wa West District, as residents continue to grapple with limited access to quality medical services.
This was revealed exclusively to Channel One News on the sidelines of the 2026 picnic celebration in Vieri, where community members expressed deep frustration over the stalled project and its impact on their well-being.
The facility, which was initiated to improve healthcare access and reduce pressure on existing health centres, has remained uncompleted for years, leaving the community without the expected upgrade in medical infrastructure.
Residents said the situation has forced many to travel long distances to access basic healthcare, often under emergency conditions.
According to community members, the absence of a functional polyclinic has led to delays in treatment, increased transportation costs, and, in some cases, preventable complications due to late medical intervention.
Expectant mothers, the elderly, and children are said to be the most affected, as they require frequent and timely healthcare services.
The Assembly Member for the Vieri Electoral Area, Nayiri Joseph Yelle, expressed frustration over the prolonged delay, calling on authorities and relevant stakeholders to prioritise the project.
“It is affecting health delivery in Vieri in such a way that looking at the population of Vieri and the current structure that we are using, the health centre is far smaller than the population we are serving currently,” the Assembly Member said.
Former Assembly Member of the area, Dari Joseph Yaaweh, also indicated that operationalisation of the polyclinic would significantly reduce congestion in existing health centres and enhance healthcare accessibility.
“The place is very small, there are few beds. Sometimes they have to struggle to manage them. But that particular project that has gone halfway, if we get it completed, their health problem will be 80% solved,” he said.
In his response, the Member of Parliament for Wa West, Peter Lanchene Toobu, attributed the prolonged abandonment of the polyclinic in Vieri to years of governance neglect, noting that the facility was nearly completed by 2016 before progress stalled.
He indicated that the current administration under John Dramani Mahama is committed to completing the Vieri polyclinic alongside other stalled health facilities, including those in Eggu and Grungu.
According to him, these are critical legacy projects that must be finalised and equipped to relieve pressure on existing health centres and improve service delivery.
“So the health centre of Grungu, the health centre of Vieri and the health centre of Eggu shall be completed and equipped for use. We are talking about funding. All of us pay taxes, and the taxes go into the consolidated fund,” Hon Toobu said.
