Awutu-Okwampa (C/R), Dec. 9, GNA - The Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Assembly has awarded 40 million cedis scholarship to a number of medical students currently undergoing training at the University of Cape Coast. The beneficiary students are to come back and serve people in the district after their graduation.

Captain Steve Kwamena Armah (Rtd), District Chief Executive for the area, disclosed this at the commissioning of a 1.2 billion cedi clinic constructed by Plan International, a non-governmental organisation for more than 10,000 inhabitants living in and around Awutu-Okwampa, near Awutu-Bawjiase in the Central Region.

He reiterated government's determination to ensure the provision of excellent and sustained health delivery service to the people and praised Plan Ghana and its external partners for the good work they had been rendering to the people in the district over the years.

Dr. Godfried K. Morison, Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Director of Health Services described the general performance of Plan Ghana in the district as "remarkable and highly commendable" and advised workers of the organisation to maintain the spirit to sustain the good image they carved for the non-governmental organisation and themselves.

Dr. Morrison pledged his outfit's desire to collaborate with Plan Ghana in its efforts to reach out to people in remote corners of the district with health facilities to solve their health problems at their doorsteps.

He would also team up with chiefs and other stakeholders in the area to ensure effective maintenance of the facility so as to prolong its life span for generations to come also to benefit. Dr. Morrison on behalf of the government and the Ministry of Health extended his deepest appreciation to the donors who funded the project.

In a speech, Mr. Amadu Bucoum, Country Director for Plan Ghana, said the project, which consists of an Out Patients Department, Dispensary, two consulting rooms, a recovery ward and an eight-bed general ward, was funded solely by two Canadian philanthropists, Mr. Tom and Mrs. Hydri Kusumoto.

The decision of the two Canadian "Good Samaritans" followed a request made by the Ministry of Health to Plan Ghana, which was channelled through the international office of the organisation in Canada.

The project is attached with a nurses' bungalow capable of housing three health workers, an overhead water reservoir as well as an electricity generating plant, and a 20-inch colour television set.

Mr. Amadu Bucoum announced that to ensure an uninterrupted operation of the clinic for the next 12 months, Plan Ghana has provided the Ministry of Health 126,000,000 cedis to cater for the running cost for the period.

The Country Director who was made an Honorary Youth Leader (Abranhene) of Awutu-Okwampa under the stool name of Nai Oshimpo VII, advised the inhabitants of the ten beneficiary communities to take full advantage of the facility to better their health status to support their agricultural activities.

According to Mr. Amadu Bucoum, Plan Ghana had already provided people in the area with educational and water facilities and was in the process of providing them with a much dependable water facility that would give them potable water all-year round.

Naachi Dodi Akaabi XIV, queenmother of the Awutu Traditional Area who stood in for the Omanhene of the Awutu Traditional area, Abokuadi Wettey Agyemang Otabil I, charged people in and around Okwampa to report all their health problems to health personnel at the clinic for prompt and better solution now that they have the facility at their doorsteps.

Naachi Akaabi expressed the Awutu Traditional Council's appreciation to the donors and all those who contributed to the successful execution of the project.