Catholic Relief Services (CRS), an international non-governmental organisation, has presented 17 motorbikes to 10 District Health Directorates to help strengthen health care delivery and to improve maternal and child health outcomes.

The 10 beneficiary District Health Directorates, which are located in the Savannah, Northern, North East and Upper East Regions, included West Gonja, Central Gonja, Nanumba North, Zabzugu, Saboba, Cheriponi, Bunkpurgu/Nakpanduri, Yunyoo/Nasuan, Garu and Tempane.

The donation formed part of the Rural Emergency Health Services and Transport for Systems Development (REST4D) project being implemented in the four regions by the CRS with support from the Hemsley Charitable Trust.

The REST4D project aims to replicate best practices for health systems development and capacity building to promote timely healthcare-seeking behaviours and effective referrals to improve maternal and child health outcomes.

Dr Mohammed Ali, Chief of Party and Technical Lead for Health at CRS, and Mr Michael Gyimah, Head of Operations at CRS, presented the motorbikes to representatives of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the beneficiary District Health Directorates in Tamale.

Dr Ali spoke about the REST4D project, saying it was to strengthen the health system by replicating best interventions in the new districts, advocate for the integration of best interventions within health system policies and facilitating their sustainability.

He said the provision of motorbikes to the GHS as a lead implementer was timely because of an acute shortage of means of transport to support health delivery within the target districts.

He emphasised that “CRS upholds accompaniment as one of its key principles, and this can only be accomplished in project communities when the partners can move around with its project officers.”

For his part, Mr Gyimah spoke about the history of CRS in the country, saying its interventions over the years had touched millions of lives across both urban and remote communities of the country, improved health, strengthened livelihoods and attended to emergencies.

He urged the beneficiary District Health Directorates to take good care of the motorbikes to realise the purpose for which they were procured.

Mr Daniel Dubik, Central Gonja District Director of Health, who represented the GHS and the beneficiary District Health Directorates to receive the motorbikes, lauded CRS for the partnership and for coming to the aid of the districts with what he referred to as "key tools for service delivery - the motorbikes".

He listed key activities, including monitoring, data collection, health promotion, among others as very significant areas, which the motorbikes would support the beneficiary District Health Directorates to carry out.

He, on behalf of the recipients, promised to take good care of the motorbikes in terms of maintenance so that they could last longer.