"Positive Change is a gradual process" - Jake

The Minister for Information and Presidential Affairs, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey has asked the citizenry to view government's slogan of "positive change" as a component of the on-going but painstaking process of development that would eventually meet their socio-economic aspirations.

Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey said the process of change involved planning before implementation "and that is why there is the saying that Rome was not build in a day."

The Minister expressed these views when he commissioned a 28 million-cedi community clinic at Nungua-Krowor, in Accra.

The project was funded by Mr. Emmanuel Adjei Boye, Member of Parliament for the area, through his personal contributions and share of the MP's Common Fund.

"This clinic is a good example of positive change in action," he told the small but jubilant members of the community that witnessed the ceremony.

Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey assured them that the dream of a hospital and other social amenities for their deprived community of over 50,000 inhabitants would eventually be fulfilled under the Kufuor administration.

The clinic, which is the first health facility in the community to be run by the Ministry of Health (MOH), has eight nursing staff, and comprises of a waiting, dispensary, consulting, recovery and treatment rooms, child welfare, family planning centres and a toilet.

Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey tasked the community to help maintain the facility to prolong its lifespan.

Mr. Boye said the clinic was the solution to the high mortality rate among pregnant women and children who died through simple ailments due to the lack of access to affordable health care delivery and the widespread poverty in the community.

"Simple ailments such as malaria, fever, convulsion...cannot receive prompt treatment because of poverty and the considerable distance from the nearest public health centre.

Minor surgeries such as circumcisions and hernia are referred to traditional doctors and quacks. We can all imagine the consequences. To meet our health needs we are obliged to travel to Korle-bu, Tema, or La Polyclinic."

Mr. Boye said healthcare was not only a need but also a human right, and pledged to raise about 50 million cedis to stock the clinic with drugs.

Health Minister, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, whose speech was read on his behalf, said communities undertaking similar health projects should access the health component of the District Assembly Common Fund to ensure smooth completion.