Tolon (N/R), Nov. 19, GNA - Afreak Med Foundation, an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) with headquarters in Austria is building a hospital at the cost of 50,000.00 euros for Tolon in the Tolon/Kumbungu District.

The hospital, which will have an out-patient department (OPD), male and female wards, a surgical theatre, a paediatric wing, a pharmacy and a laboratory, is the brain child of Dr. Bayer Stefan, a medical doctor based in Austria and Dr. Kpangkpari Steve of the Catholic Hospital at Asankrangu in the Central Region.

Major Abubakari Sulemana (Rtd), the regent of Tolon and his elders released a 30-acre plot of land for the construction of the hospital which is expected to be completed by the end of next year. Maj Sulemana and Dr. Stefan, the leader of the NGO delegation, cut the sod for work to begin on the hospital in Tolon on Tuesday. Maj Sulemana commended the NGO and said for several years he and his people had struggled to get the government to build a hospital for them but to no avail.

He said when the people in the area fall sick they often have to travel over 16 kilometres to Tamale and gave the assurance that he and his elders would support the project for its early completion. Dr. Stefan said the realization of the dream of building the hospital was through the efforts of a several people including contributions from the people of Europe.

He said the project was to also foster closer friendship between the people of Austria and Ghana and also bring development to Tolon. Mrs. Denisig Kaara, District Director of Health, said the Tolon community and its surrounding areas had a population of over 167,606 and it was difficult for the only health centre to cater for the people. She said it was therefore welcome news to have a big hospital to complement the services of the health centre and urged the district assembly to sponsor more students in nursing training institutions to enable them to serve the district upon completion of their courses.