St. Joseph Clinic and 3 others to be upgraded into polyclinics

The Municipal Chief Executive for Wenchi Hon Dr Prince Kwakye Afiriyie has said that plans are far advanced for the assembly to upgrade St. Joseph's Clinic at Koase, the Nchiraa Health Center and Subinso II Health Center to the status of polyclinics.

The MCE, Dr. Prince Kwakye Afiriyie disclosed this at a sod cutting ceremony at the St. Joseph's Clinic at Koase.

He said the construction of 1 No. Ward consisting of Female Ward and Children Ward, 2 No. Lying-In Ward, 2 No. Theaters and Nurses Station at Nchiraa Health Center is at 95 per cent of completion, funds are ready for the construction of Subinso II polyclinic adding that the proposals were submitted to the Ministry of finance for approval and today we are here in Koase to cut sod for the construction of major and minor theatre at St. Joseph's Clinic.

The projects when completed will help ease the challenges they face in accessing health care Dr. Prince Kwakye Afiriyie has explained.

He further disclosed that it is within the policies of the Wenchi Assembly to provide polyclinics in the Municipality, such that people will be close to health facilities to avoid referrals and traveling to see doctors, this according to him will help prevent some health complications that occur as a result of the absence of nearby health facilities.

The MCE, said after set of isolated projects and government programs, a Municipal Telehealth Program has been defined in the Municipality.

He explains the main reasons why there is inequity, and geographic and demographic conditions that derive the need for this type of telemedical applications to grant and improve the health care of the population.

Telemedicine uses ICTs to overcome geographical barriers and increase access to health care services, this benefits rural areas and marginalized communities that do not have direct access to specific health care Dr. Afiriyie noted.

He added that Telemedicine is the exchange of medical information between two actors that are not located in the same place, which can be a doctor/ patient,or doctor/doctor, through some means of electronic communication in order to improve the health status of a patient.

It is expected that 70 percent of people within the Wenchi Municipality were born at Wenchi Methodist Hospital by their mothers, so with this vision will help ease the congestion at the Wenchi Methodist Hospital Dr. Kwakye Afiriyie said.

Source: Royals News Nana Anfreh Damanta (Wenchi Bono Region).