SOLAR POWER FOR DONINGA HEALTH COMPOUND
SOLAR POWER FOR DONINGA HEALTH COMPOUND 12/02/10
BY PETER ATOGEWE WEDAM
ISD- BOLGATANGA MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY
A solar system valued at 15,200.00 American Dollars has been installed and commissioned for use by the Doninga Health Centre in the Builsa district of the Upper East Region. The solar system comprised vaccine refrigerators, compound lighting and indoor lighting systems.
The Minister for Energy, Dr. Joe Oteng-Adjei who commissioned the project said it marked the completion of similar solar systems installed in 74 other health facilities in remote communities in 20 districts within the Upper East, Upper West, Northern and Brong-Ahafo regions.
He thanked the International Development Association of the World Bank for assisting the Energy ministry with funds to the tune of 936,545.00 US Dollars under the Ghana Energy Development and Access Project [GEDAP] in the provision of solar systems for health facilities in the regions mentioned above.
The Energy minister noted that the lack of modern energy services in rural health facilities poses a challenge to the storage of vaccines and the use of basic laboratory equipment and this impedes the efficient delivery of health services to the people. He thus pledged the continuous support of his ministry to the Ghana Health Service towards meeting the health needs of the citizenry.
Dr. Oteng-Adjei also observed that even though some parts of the country are witnessing expansion in energy infrastructure, there have been some imbalances. For instance, the seven regions in the south have electricity supply access rate ranging from 58 per cent to 95 per cent whilst the three Northern regions have access rates ranging from 30% to 45 per cent.
He said the National Electrification Scheme established in 1989 had the goal of achieving universal access to the electricity by 2020 and that it is government’s priority to ensure that this objective is met by the set date. Subsequently, the Government of Ghana has secured a 520 million Dollar loan from the Exim Bank of the United States and the Chinese government to extend grid electricity under the GEDAP to about 2000 communities across the country.
The Upper East regional minister, Honourable Mark Owen Woyongo who also witnessed the commissioning observed that the solar powered health facilities in the various rural communities will help greatly in the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals four and five which bother on reducing under-five mortality and maternal mortality ratios respectively by 2015.
Honourable Woyongo said the installation of the solar system in the Doninga health centre like many others elsewhere in the region is a testimony of government’s objective of enhancing health services to cover more communities especially those in rural Ghana. He urged staff of the Ghana Health Service to take very good care of the system and also ensure regular maintenance.
In a word to the Doninga community, the Upper East Regional Director of health services, Dr. Koku Awoonor-Williams observed that lack of power supply in rural health facilities and power fluctuations are a cause of unnecessary referrals and avoidable loss of lives where power fails in the course of theatre operations.
He commended government and the donors for the project and said the Ghana Health Service has already put in place a programme that trains some staff in the servicing and maintenance of the solar systems so as to prolong their life span.
Honourable Norbert Awulley, the Builsa District Chief Executive in a welcome address noted that health professionals have been declining postings to rural areas within the district and expressed the hope that such interventions like the GEDAP project by the Energy ministry will make the rural health facilities attractive to health workers.
Hounourable Awulley asked the Energy minister to extend the solar power systems to cover teachers’ bungalows in villages of the district in order to better the living conditions of teachers who accept postings to those communities. He said the district assembly will continue to provide the needed the help and infrastructure for the Ghana Health Service to carry out its duties.
The district directors of health from the Builsa, Kassena-Nankana East and West districts also witnessed the commissioning ceremony.
BY PETER ATOGEWE WEDAM
ISD- BOLGATANGA MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY
A solar system valued at 15,200.00 American Dollars has been installed and commissioned for use by the Doninga Health Centre in the Builsa district of the Upper East Region. The solar system comprised vaccine refrigerators, compound lighting and indoor lighting systems.
The Minister for Energy, Dr. Joe Oteng-Adjei who commissioned the project said it marked the completion of similar solar systems installed in 74 other health facilities in remote communities in 20 districts within the Upper East, Upper West, Northern and Brong-Ahafo regions.
He thanked the International Development Association of the World Bank for assisting the Energy ministry with funds to the tune of 936,545.00 US Dollars under the Ghana Energy Development and Access Project [GEDAP] in the provision of solar systems for health facilities in the regions mentioned above.
The Energy minister noted that the lack of modern energy services in rural health facilities poses a challenge to the storage of vaccines and the use of basic laboratory equipment and this impedes the efficient delivery of health services to the people. He thus pledged the continuous support of his ministry to the Ghana Health Service towards meeting the health needs of the citizenry.
Dr. Oteng-Adjei also observed that even though some parts of the country are witnessing expansion in energy infrastructure, there have been some imbalances. For instance, the seven regions in the south have electricity supply access rate ranging from 58 per cent to 95 per cent whilst the three Northern regions have access rates ranging from 30% to 45 per cent.
He said the National Electrification Scheme established in 1989 had the goal of achieving universal access to the electricity by 2020 and that it is government’s priority to ensure that this objective is met by the set date. Subsequently, the Government of Ghana has secured a 520 million Dollar loan from the Exim Bank of the United States and the Chinese government to extend grid electricity under the GEDAP to about 2000 communities across the country.
The Upper East regional minister, Honourable Mark Owen Woyongo who also witnessed the commissioning observed that the solar powered health facilities in the various rural communities will help greatly in the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals four and five which bother on reducing under-five mortality and maternal mortality ratios respectively by 2015.
Honourable Woyongo said the installation of the solar system in the Doninga health centre like many others elsewhere in the region is a testimony of government’s objective of enhancing health services to cover more communities especially those in rural Ghana. He urged staff of the Ghana Health Service to take very good care of the system and also ensure regular maintenance.
In a word to the Doninga community, the Upper East Regional Director of health services, Dr. Koku Awoonor-Williams observed that lack of power supply in rural health facilities and power fluctuations are a cause of unnecessary referrals and avoidable loss of lives where power fails in the course of theatre operations.
He commended government and the donors for the project and said the Ghana Health Service has already put in place a programme that trains some staff in the servicing and maintenance of the solar systems so as to prolong their life span.
Honourable Norbert Awulley, the Builsa District Chief Executive in a welcome address noted that health professionals have been declining postings to rural areas within the district and expressed the hope that such interventions like the GEDAP project by the Energy ministry will make the rural health facilities attractive to health workers.
Hounourable Awulley asked the Energy minister to extend the solar power systems to cover teachers’ bungalows in villages of the district in order to better the living conditions of teachers who accept postings to those communities. He said the district assembly will continue to provide the needed the help and infrastructure for the Ghana Health Service to carry out its duties.
The district directors of health from the Builsa, Kassena-Nankana East and West districts also witnessed the commissioning ceremony.
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