By Omotayo Edubi
Authorities of the St. Joseph Health Centre in Kalba, in the Savannah Region, are pleading for help to reopen the facility after it was forced to close down following a rainstorm that hit the community on Saturday, March 19, 2022.
Authorities warn of a health crisis if the facility is not fixed immediately, as it is a major facility that serves over 40,000 people in 65 communities.
The rainstorm on Saturday evening in Kalba ripped off the roofs of a number of buildings in the area, including the facility’s documents, drugs and mattresses, among others, as the incident compelled authorities to discharge patients who were on admission.
“At this moment, we cannot offer any service as the building is not in good shape. The wind has lifted the roofing sheet to the maternity block, making it very unsafe.
“No delivery can be carried out in the labour room. We are traumatised even as staff. Patients are here yet, we cannot offer our services to them. We call on all well-meaning Ghanaians who care about the health sector to come to our aid.” One of the staffs said.
He warned of health crises in the area if the facility is not reopened in a short time.
“In terms of logistics, we had to collect all the drugs when the rain began, and we are not sure how good they are now to even serve our patients. We are a referral hospital serving people not only from Ghana but Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. We are in a desperate situation now.”
The Damongo Catholic Diocesan health Director, Aiden Ngmenbon said the diocese is overwhelmed at the level of damage and appealed to philanthropists, NGOs and government, as well as the national health insurance authority for support to reopen the facility.
“It is a trend of disaster. On January 18, 2022, this same facility suffered a fire outbreak and the diocese is still getting logistics to replace the damage. Now, this happened yesterday and has become more burdensome. If we do not get support from people and agencies, it would be disastrous. NGOs, USAID, and all other bodies should support us speedily. It could be in cash or kind; be it money or say building materials.”
“With the services we provide here, any further delay will be bad for the people in the community.” The staff added.
Some 78 houses have been affected by the storm, displacing 105 people.
