The Member of Parliament, District Chief Executive, and health officials in the Wa East District have made a passionate and unified appeal to the government for the urgent provision of a district hospital to serve the growing population.

The district, established more than 22 years ago and currently home to over 120,000 people, remains the only district in the Upper West Region without a district hospital or polyclinic.

Local leaders highlighted this infrastructural deficit during consecutive commissioning ceremonies for two newly constructed Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds in the Buler and Chasia communities.

Member of Parliament for Wa East, Dr. Godfred Seidu Jasaw, described the persistent lack of a major hospital as a “huge indictment” on the region.

He explained that the newly commissioned CHPS compounds represent the critical “first point of call” for primary healthcare and were specifically built to decentralise services and ease severe congestion at the Kulkpong Health Centre, which previously served more than 16 communities.

“Tell the Regional Minister, tell your Health Minister, tell the President and everybody that Wa East is complaining that we still do not have a district hospital,” Dr. Jasaw stated, urging the government to fast-track ongoing healthcare upgrades.

District Director of Health Services, Dr. Benjamin Amenyuori, echoed the MP’s frustrations, highlighting the disparity between Wa East and neighbouring districts such as Wa West, which already has both a polyclinic and a hospital.

Dr. Amenyuori appealed for immediate high-level intervention, stating: “Passionately, we want to plead that the Agenda 111 project in Funsi be given special attention so that it can be completed to help improve access to quality healthcare for the people of Wa East.”

Despite the absence of a major hospital, the new CHPS compounds at Buler and Chasia are fully equipped with delivery beds, standard patient beds, weighing scales, maternity delivery facilities, and inpatient care rooms for minor illnesses.

Dr. Amenyuori confirmed that staff have already been deployed to the facilities to support the Ministry of Health’s free primary healthcare policy.

District Chief Executive (DCE) for Wa East, Mr. Adamu Sayibu, noted that the construction of the facilities aligns with a presidential directive requiring the local assembly to deliver at least two CHPS compounds annually.

He praised the collaborative leadership that ensured the projects were completed on schedule, but cautioned residents to protect the investments.

“If we don’t cultivate a good maintenance culture, this facility will deteriorate, and when that happens, stakeholders will not be encouraged to come and do more for the community,” the DCE warned.

For local leaders and residents, the new satellite clinics provide immediate and potentially life-saving relief. Chief of Loggu Sagu and Assembly Member for the Jeyiri Electoral Area, Naa Iddi Abdulai, noted that residents previously had to endure poor road networks to access basic healthcare services in Jeyiri, Kulkpong, or Wa.

“Considering things, the road network too is not all that good. It means we are suffering. But this has come as a remedy to reduce that trauma that we are facing,” Naa Iddi Abdulai stated.

The impact of the intervention was further emphasised by community members. Kopre Bemaata, a trader in Chasia, expressed immense happiness over the newly commissioned facility, noting the peace of mind it brings to families.

Similarly, resident Jenifa Konkouri described the difficulties the community previously faced, explaining the long distances and challenges residents had to endure to access basic healthcare services before the construction of the new CHPS compound.