The Member of Parliament for Wa Central, Dr. Rashid Pelpuo has expressed worry over the continued delay in the opening of the Upper West Regional Hospital to the public.
Speaking at a programme to increase breast cancer awareness in his constituency over the weekend, Mr. Pelpuo complained that the delay in operationalizing the facility is impacting negatively on healthcare delivery as many patients in the constituency continue to be referred to other parts of the country in search of proper healthcare.
“I will like to take this opportunity to call on the government to make sure that the recently commissioned regional hospital is up and operating. It is commissioned but still not up. This is unacceptable. Once the commissioning has taken place we have to make sure we open it up for work. So much money is invested there and yet not a single activity of health treatment is going on there.”
The Wa Central lawmaker also made a passionate appeal to the Ministry of Health to initiate incentive packages that will motivate and attract doctors and other health professionals to the Upper West Region.
“Let’s make sure we keep the doctors here. I understand the hospital has only three working doctors of a population of about 150,000 people. This is unacceptable. I will like to call on the Ministry of Health to re-examine the health needs of the people to make sure we have resident doctors who will treat our people when they fall ill.”
The commissioning of the 160-bed-capacity Upper West Regional hospital had delayed due to what onlookers described as political interference.
The main opposition National Democratic Congress had indicated in December 2016 that the facility was ready and would be handed over by February 2017.
However, upon assumption of office, the governing New Patriotic Party NPP rescheduled the commissioning date due to “some work” that needed to be carried out at the facility.
Government officials promised but missed the opening of the hospital a couple of times.
However, President Nana Akufo-Addo in August subsequently commissioned the hospital.
