From Edmond Gyebi, Karaga
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Karaga, Alhassan Sualihu Dandawa, continues to work hard to bring more development projects to the communities within his constituency, in fulfillment of his promise to address the needs of the people.
This was evidenced when the chiefs and people of Bagurugu, a deprived community in the Karaga District, openly showcased their exhilaration at the commissioning of an ultra modern health centre built by the MP, in collaboration with the community and the District Assembly.
The community has been in a dire need of a health centre for decades now, following its growing population, and the distance between it and the nearest health centre.
Almost all the over 3,153 residents, including the Chief and his elders, poured out in their numbers to meet MP Alhassan Sualihu Dandawa and the District Chief Executive for Karaga, Yakubu Imoro, who is also a native of the community, on arrival amidst endless cheers, drumming and spectacular popular Damba dance.
At a colourful durbar to commission the facility, the Chief of t Bagurugu, Naa Ziblim Fuseini, revealed that the people of the area had suffered in times past, especially, pregnant women in accessing healthcare delivery from Pishigu, which is the nearest health post at a distance of over 26 kilometres.
The Chief noted that even though the government, through the District Assembly and MP, had supported the community with electricity, boreholes, schools, and also reshaped their roads, the construction of the health facility was the one most important legacy he and his people would forever remember.
“We thank our MP very much for prioritizing the health needs of my people. This facility has taken away our greatest burden, especially for our women who are pregnant or are in labour. Previously, these women were carried on bicycles and motorbikes to Pishigu on a very bad road. But, now, because of this facility, we have our own health personnel stationed in this community, so it is a big joy for us”.
Meanwhile, Alhassan Dandawa, in the last two and half years, has connected over 18 communities to the national electricity grid, and also lobbied the government for the development of most feeder roads in the district in 2014, at the cost of GH¢9 million, in the overseas area of the district.
He said that he had also helped in securing GH¢5 million this year, through the Urban Roads Departmernt, to develop the Karaga town roads, of which the tender had already been open for bidding.
The Karaga MP also said that an Inventory Report had been submitted to the Roads Ministry for approval, for the bidding for the construction of roads in the Konkomba areas of the district.
According to Mr. Dandawa, his intention to open up the roads sector in the district was to facilitate the economic activities of the people, connect the district to other market centres, and also reduce maternal mortality, resulting from inaccessible roads.
He is currently working on some of the feeder roads in the district, including the Nambrugu-Nakpalagu road, Nakpalagu-Pagli road, Zandua-Kokpliga road, Zandua-Galabihi road, and also tarring the Somoa-Tanga and the Old Market urban roads in the Karaga township, with support from the government.
The MP for Karaga also renovated the Pishigu nurses bungalow last year, and provided a number of boreholes.
Mr. Dandawa also presented 10 flat screen computers, and 10 set of streetlights to the Karaga Senior High School last year, and also presented 2 flat screen computers to the Karaga District National Health Insurance (NHIS) office, repaired the broken down NHIS vehicle at the cost of GH¢3,000, and also donated two computers to the Karaga District Police and also repainted the police station.
Before the commissioning of the Bagurugu Health Centre, the MP also donated 12 brand new motorbikes, with crash helmets, to the 11 health facilities in the Karaga District, and also presented four double-deck refrigerators to the Karaga District Hospital, Pishigu Health Centre, Tamalegu Health Post and the Komoayile Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Compound.
Mr. Dandawa, who was a philanthropist even before becoming an MP, has also installed nine grinding mills in some of the communities he had connected to the national grid. He has donated two deep freezers to the Karaga and Pishigu slaughter houses.
He has also supported some needy students with funds, and also gained admissions for many students into the tertiary institutions across Ghana. The MP announced plans to repair the broken down ambulance he donated to the Karaga Central Mosque in 2011.
However, he commended the Chief and people Bagurugu for being the initiators of the project before his intervention to complete it. According to him, he has always sympathised with the people of the community, especially, the women, for walking long distances to other communities to access healthcare.
He appealed to the personnel to show more commitment to duty and deliver quality services to the people. Mr. Dandawa also appealed to the Chief and people to also support the personnel in any way they could, in order to motivate them to stay in the community.
Addressing the large enthusiastic gathering, the District Chief Executive for Karaga, Yakubu Imoro, thanked the Chief and people of Bagurugu.
He said that the Karaga District had been one of the districts in Ghana that had benefitted from a number of projects under the present government, especially in the areas of education, health, rural electrification, water and sanitation, agriculture and road networks among others.
The DCE promised to continue to provide the necessary development interventions for the people.
He assured the people of getting them the necessary medical equipment, adequate health personnel, accommodation, and means of transport to further boost health service delivery in the area.
The District Health Director, Braimah Mustapha Farouk, who received keys to the facility, thanked the MP and DCE for the initiative.
He said that the magnificent nature of the centre was more than a CHPS compound, but the limited number of personnel and the absence of some essential medical tools had compelled the health directorate to name the facility so until the necessary upgrading was made. He promised to make the necessary arrangements to get the required number staff to manage the facility to befit its beauty.