Salaga District Hospital Receives Support

The Salaga District Hospital in the East Gonja District of the Northern Region has received support through joint efforts by some individuals from the area to enhance quality healthcare delivery. 

The Hospital received a new Ambulance with registration number GW5961-16 and 41 metal beds with mattresses for the children and maternity wards. The items were donated by Chief Dinipowura Alhaji Osman Mimina, live patron of Bulun B’Ntere Fun Club at an undisclosed price. 

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Salaga South, Hon Abubakari Dey also presented 120 new hospital mattresses to the various wards of the hospital and some CHPS Compounds. 

An anesthetic machine, water facilities, street lighting system, renovation and repainting of some facilities were also provided by Chief Dinipowura and the East Gonja District Assembly.

The Salaga District Hospital which is one of the oldest public health facilities in the Northern Region, serves a population of over 115,000 who are predominantly farmers and petty traders from several deprived communities. 

DCE for East Gonja (l), MP for Salaga South (mid) handing over mattresses to Medical Superintendent of Salaga Hospital

As the only major health centre in the district, the Hospital continues to be under intense pressure due to high patronage and the absence of a number of essential medical equipment.

The state of the hospital until recently lived much to be desired. However, the recent renovation and supply of other items has given the facility a little boost. 

Presenting the Ambulance and the Hospital beds, Chief Dinipoweura Alhaji Osman Mimina in a speech read for him by one Alhaji Inua Yussif said that his decision to support the hospital was born out of his love for the people and their health.

According to him, the only way the people could go about their normal activities or businesses was for them to first and foremost have healthy lives.

Chief Dinipowura said that the Ambulance would facilitate the referral of patients especially during emergencies and labour.

The Medical Superintendent of the Salaga District Hospital, Dr. Mohammed Sherif Abdul-Khaliq who received the items on behalf of the hospital thanked their benefactors for the huge gesture.

According to him, the hospital had been in dire need for an ambulance for quite some time now following the breakdown of the existing one.

He was hopeful that the vehicle would reduce the cases of maternal mortalities being recorded in the district and called on other influential persons in the district to emulate the gesture.

Dr. Abdul-Khaliq promised to ensure that the facilities were put to good use and to ensure that they served the purposes for which they were provided.

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for East Gonja, Mohammed Aminu Lukman also commended the Chief and the MP for augmenting the efforts of the Assembly and for that matter government in ensuring quality healthcare delivery.  

He said that the District Assembly had made several efforts to support the Hospital but could not realize that aim due to lack of resources.

According to the DCE the Assembly eventually had the support of the office of the Administrator of GETfund for the renovation of the hospital and the procurement of other items.

Mohammed Aminu Lukman said that President John Dramani Mahama was keen on providing the best of health facilities for the people of the district, and had therefore commenced the construction of a 60 bed capacity hospital at a different location for the East Gonja District.

Works on the project he said was steadily progressing and assured that the President would continue to address the needs of the people.

He said that the government was constructing the Tamale-Salaga-Makango road to facilitate the smooth movement and business transactions of the people.

The DCE therefore appealed to the people to retain President Mahama and the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) for another term to ensure the continuity of those projects and more.