Churches advised to establish more hospitals in rural areas

Apromase (Ash), Jun.2, GNA - Churches have been advised to place greater premium on the establishment of hospitals and clinics in the rural communities, more than the urban centres and large towns. Professor Dr. Henry Nii-Adziri Wellington, a Consultant to the Global Evangelical Mission hospital project at Apromase in the Ejisu-Juaben district, who gave the advice, said this was important because, while the urban centres have numerous health facilities, the rural communities have very little access to such facilities. He gave the advice at the seventh site meeting of the Board of Directors of the Global Evangelical Mission hospital on Monday at Apromase, to assess work on the first phase of the hospital project and also approve plans to move the project into the next phase.

The first phase of the 7.5 billion cedis hospital complex being constructed by the church, has just been completed and is scheduled for commissioning on July 2, while the second phase takes-off in mid-July. It is being financed by the Church with support from the American Leprosy Mission (ALM).

Professor Wellington said, "the cities have teaching hospitals, general hospitals, poly clinics and numerous private hospitals, while in the rural areas, there may be only one hospital serving several villages and towns."

He said the location of the hospital at Apromase was ample testimony that the Church was not just concerned with only preaching the gospel but also more concerned about the health needs of the people. Dr Pious Agbenorku, Medical Consultant to the project, expressed concern about the road network in the area, and appealed to the authorities to assist in rehabilitating them.

He said rehabilitating roads linking Apromase would make the health facility more accessible to people in the surrounding communities too.

Meanwhile, the Board members charged the contractor working on the project to start the rehabilitation of the road linking Apromase township to the hospital site. 2 June 04