Patronize and Support Fait-Based Health Institutions

Ghanaians have been advised to patronize and support faith-based health institutions established throughout the country. This will help compliment government’s effort of ensuring basic quality health care delivery especially in the rural communities. The General Manager of the Northern Presbyterian Health Services, John Abugri made the call in an interview with Radio Ghana at Bawku in the Upper East Region. He said over the years religious institutions particularly orthodox denominations has been of tremendous help in the provision of basic health care delivery in the country adding that their efforts has undoubtedly contributed immensely in extending quality health care delivery to the door step of the poor and the marginalized in society, who due to their poverty situations could not afford to access basic quality health care. Mr. Abugre however called on Ghanaians to discard the notion that faith-based health institutions can only be patronized and supported by churches and missionaries. He re-emphasized the need for people to access basic health care from such institutions since they do not serve only Christians. He cited the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital as one of the faith-based institutions that seeks to render its services to all and sundry irrespective of their religious affiliations. He added that the hospital since its establishment 50 years ago, has carried out its mission and has introduced some innovations in line with the changing demands including eye care as well as orthopedic and physiotherapy service. Mr. Abugri also pointed out that his outfit has played a leading role in the provision of primary health activities before the advent of the Alma Atta declaration of 1978. The hospital, he disclosed, has over the years provided outpatients care, maternal and child health services and surgical interventions among others. Five years down the line, the hospital has provided a total of 6,955 operations made up of 3,639 minor and 3,316 major injuries. He attributed the continuous success to the commitment and hard work exhibited by both management and staff of the hospital, particularly, the various medical specialists and surgeons. He expressed profound gratitude to the church and its collaborators for their continuous support over the past years. Mr. Abugre later outlined a number of challenges confronting health care delivery in the Bawku municipality and mentioned lack of accommodation for doctors as one of the major challenges, though the hospital is gradually increasing in size due to the specialist services they provide.