The Bolgatanga East District Assembly has commissioned two Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds at Pologo and Dubila in the Upper East Region to improve access to basic healthcare and bring essential medical services closer to residents.
The facilities, completed under the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) Project, are expected to strengthen healthcare delivery and reduce the distance residents travel to access medical attention.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Bolgatanga East, Jacob Abugre Aka-Eri, disclosed that while the Pologo facility was initiated in 2024, the Dubila project dates back to 2013 when it was started by the Ministry of Health but abandoned around 2017.
He explained that the District Assembly subsequently adopted the two projects under the SOCO programme, providing additional financial resources to ensure their completion.
According to Mr. Aka-Eri, the Dubila facility had remained incomplete for several years until it was repackaged under the SOCO intervention and completed for use by the community.
He said the completion of the facilities was particularly significant because residents of both communities had for years struggled to access healthcare services and repeatedly appealed to authorities for CHPS compounds.
The DCE, who recalled following up on the Pologo project during his days as an Assembly Member in 2015, expressed satisfaction that he had witnessed its completion and was commissioning it as District Chief Executive.
He urged residents to take ownership of the facilities, protect the infrastructure and ensure they are put to effective use for the benefit of the entire communities.
Mr. Aka-Eri also cautioned residents against neglecting the newly commissioned facilities in favour of travelling to other health centres for services that could be accessed within their communities.
He stressed that community participation and proper maintenance would be critical to sustaining the facilities and ensuring they deliver the intended benefits.
The SOCO Zonal Coordinator, Samuel Larbi, explained that the projects were implemented through the programme’s bottom-up development approach, which allows communities to identify their priority needs and submit them to the Assembly through Community Action Plans.
He said the Pologo CHPS compound was captured in a Community Action Plan submitted in 2024, while the Dubila facility was identified as a viable community initiative after assessment by the SOCO implementation team.
Mr. Larbi noted that the approach was designed to ensure that development interventions respond directly to the needs and priorities of beneficiary communities.
For her part, the Bolgatanga East District Director of Health Services, Maria Mahama, described the commissioning as a major boost to healthcare delivery in the district.
She said the absence of dedicated facilities had previously compelled health personnel serving the communities to operate from their mother facility and transport essential equipment and medical supplies whenever they needed to provide services at the CHPS zones.
Madam Mahama explained that the completion of the two compounds would provide health workers with dedicated spaces to deliver services and safely keep their equipment, thereby improving working conditions and healthcare delivery.
She added that the facilities would enhance access to essential healthcare services and support efforts to bring quality healthcare closer to residents.
The commissioning of the two CHPS compounds is expected to improve primary healthcare delivery in Pologo and Dubila, reduce travel distances for residents and strengthen access to essential health services, particularly for vulnerable populations.
The ceremony was attended by traditional authorities, staff of the District Assembly, health personnel and youth from the beneficiary communities.
Source: Joseph Napoleon Anaaya
