Member of Parliament for the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Constituency, Samuel Atta Mills, has called on the government to consider the upgrade of the Elmina Polyclinic to hospital status.
This, he said, would enable the facility, which is the biggest health care delivery centre in the municipality to offer comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services, such as emergency and complex procedures.
Speaking at the 50th anniversary of the Polyclinic, Mr. Atta Mills reiterated that the facility plays a major role in health care delivery in the entire municipality, hence the need for an upgrade.
He mentioned that patients were referred to Elmina Polyclinic from clinics, CHPS compounds and other health facilities within the municipality, while other patients from outside the municipality often visited for health care.
However, the facility mostly referred patients with complex cases to the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, while some patients preferred the University of Cape Coast and the Cape Coast Metro Hospitals to the Polyclinic.
The need for an upgrade
According to the Legislator, an upgrade of the facility to a full-fledged hospital has become eminent due to its strategic location and the ever-growing population of the municipality.
“I still believe and maintain my stand that the Elmina Polyclinic and Kissi Health Centre must be upgraded to fully fledged hospitals equipped with facilities such as accidents and emergency centers,” he emphasised.
MP’s initiatives.
He stated that his office has, over the years, taken up initiatives by assisting constituents in the various health training institutions to be trained and get posted to the municipality to work.
It covered those sponsored to pursue medicine, physician assistant studies, optometry, nursing and other allied health programmes in various tertiary educational institutions.
“My office has assisted most health professionals to get posted to the municipality to assist in delivering quality health care” to improve the health of the constituents.
Support for health facilities
Mr. Mills said, “My office renovated the entire maternity block at Elmina Polyclinic, donated hospital beds to the male and female wards and children’s beds to the mother and baby units.”
His office has also secured a refrigerator for storage of essential medical supplies at the polyclinic and supported the construction of male and female wards and the renovation of maternity blocks at the Komenda and Kissi Health Centres respectively.
Additionally, he claimed to have financed the facelift of Kokwado health facility and supported the construction of a maternity block at the Abayee CHPS compound, as well as the re-roofing of the Atonkwa CHPS compound.
Mr. Mills, who is seeking re-election, stated that his office has immensely supported the construction of the CHPS compound at Aburansa, Abrobiano, Dwabo and other areas.
Rationale for the support
He explained that the rationale behind the constant support to other health facilities outside Elmina Polyclinic was due to the role they play in complimenting the health care delivery services at Elmina Polyclinic.
He promised that his office has taken steps to repair a vehicle of the health directorate that was meant for supervision and monitoring but has broken down due to an accident.
He congratulated all the various heads of the facility and the entire staff for their remarkable and significant roles that have contributed to the successes the Polyclinic has chalked over the years.
