Water shortage hits Bimbilla Government Hospital halting surgeries …essential services

Essential activities and services such as surgeries have come to a halt at the Bimbilla Government hospital in the Nanumba North district of the Northern region due to acute shortage of water supply to the hospital. The Community Water and Sanitation Agency has cut water supply to the hospital for owing the agency GHC220,000.

The situation, which is impeding effective health care delivery, has caught the attention of residents and stakeholders who are calling for immediate resolution of the problem to avert unnecessary deaths and other health-related problems. Our correspondent Joyce Kantam Kolamong visited the facility and reports that Bimbilla government hospital is a major referral hospital serving the Eastern corridor and its environs.

Therefore the disconnection of water supply to the facility is greatly affecting services including surgeries, deliveries, primary healthcare and other essentials. Nurses and other hospital staff have to abandon the provision of services at the facility in search of water. Patients at the hospital have expressed worry at the situation and called on appropriate quarters to take steps to resolve the problem. The current development poses a great challenge to the hospital as it stands to negate the successes chalked up so far in the fight against maternal and neonatal deaths in the district. The Administrator of the hospital, Musah Ayuba says ”all attempts to resolve the issue with the Community Water and Sanitation agency have been unsuccessful”.

Meanwhile, the Northern Regional Director of Community Water and Sanitation Agency, Engineer Gilbert Amoah says ”Management of the hospital have refused to adhere to several warnings issued to them hence, the disconnection”.

It is important for the Community Water and Sanitation Agency and Management of the hospital to come together to resolve the situation since water is an essential commodity of life.

SOURCE: gbcghanaonline.com