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Mr Simon Osei Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister, has inaugurated a new health facility for traders in the central business district of Obuasi.
The GHc 1.6 million project was constructed by the Obuasi Municipal Assembly from proceeds from mineral royalties paid to the assembly.
It is expected to provide quality healthcare services for traders and residents in and around the Obuasi central market and beyond.
The facility, which has been named after Mr Elijah Adansi-Bonah, the Obuasi Municipal Chief Executive, has Out-Patient Department, consulting rooms, pharmacy, store, female and male wards, maternity ward, washrooms, laboratory, counselling unit, office, a bedroom flat nurses accommodation and washrooms.
Mr Osei Mensah, speaking at the ceremony, commended the Obuasi Municipal Assembly for putting its share of the mineral royalties into productive use, adding that, prioritizing the healthcare needs of the people with proceeds exemplary and needed to be applauded.
He said prior to the NPP government coming into power in 2017, the Ashanti region was rated low in terms of national health infrastructure, but due to the efforts of the government, the region had witnessed a significant improvement in healthcare facilities.
He said the government had completed several health facilities it inherited.
These included the Konongo, Tepa, Bekwai, Fomena, Kumawu and Sawua hospitals.
Mr Osei Mensah also listed a number of health facilities the government had initiated and completed.
These included the Amansie West, Drobonso and Suame Municipal Polyclinics as well as the Twedie and Ahafo Ano South-East hospitals, among others
He said the government through various interventions in the health centre had demonstrated its willingness to support the health care needs of the people to have a healthy society.
Mr Elijah Adansi-Bonah, Obuasi Municipal Chief Executive, said the construction of the health facility lent credence to the Assembly’s judicious use of mineral royalties contrary to reports issued by the Center for Democratic Development on the impact of gold mining royalties on development projects in some mining districts.
The report suggested that the Obuasi Municipal Assembly could not account for projects constructed using mineral royalties and lack of stakeholder engagements.
Mr Adansi-Bonah further mentioned the Kokoteasua Experimental school building and Sanso Nurses quarters as other projects that were funded through the Assembly’s share of the mineral royalties.
He recounted the Assembly’s relentless resolve to put up the facility at a former sanitation site.
“We had a torrid time during the construction stage due to the nature of the land but since we were committed to ensuring that we provide health facility for our traders, we did not relent in our efforts.
Mr. Martin Safo Osei, the Municipal Health Director, lauded the efforts of the Assembly in putting up the facility.
He said the facility furnished with quality modern equipment would further enhance effective health care delivery in the Obuasi Municipality.
He said management would see to it that the facility was properly maintained to stand the test of time.
Source: GNA
