Paramount Chief of Janga, Naa Seidu Nantogmah, has bemoaned the devastating state of patients at the Janga Polyclinic due to its limited capacity.

"They put 3, 4 people on a bed so we asked for help to expand the hospital. But the money to complete the place is the problem", Naa Seidu Nantogmah said.

Patients on admission at the Janga polyclinic in the West Mamprusi municipality of the North East Region are managed on wooden benches, damaged stretchers and on the bare floor. 

This is because the facility has run out of beds due to inadequate spaces in the wards and theater rooms. 

The facility has been overwhelmed by a recent surge in cases of malaria and maternal disease, forcing nurses to admit up to 3 patients on a bed, while others are managed on mats at open spaces within the clinic. 

The polyclinic serves close to over 20,000 people in the area. But since its commissioning almost 10 years ago by former President John Mahama, it has faced neglect without any major rehabilitation.

It is now facing a crisis - level shortage of ward spaces as well as acute infrastructure deficit, affecting the provision of quality healthcare and effective administrative services.

As the malaria transmission season reaches its peak, the facility is struggling to contain the influx of new patients it receives everyday. 

The primary healthcare service facility is heavily congested as it has a total of less than 15 beds, including the male and female which have four beds each. 

"The key challenges are that; lack of space, especially wards for our in patients", a health worker at the facility said, anonymously.

"Originally, the paediatric ward is designated to take seven beds, which is woefully inadequate. As at last month, we had 398 paediatric admissions. So if you take that the average length of stay of a paediatric case is 3 days, that means that, each bed can 10 patients a month. That means that the ward is supposed to take 70 cases a month but we had 398 admissions. That also means that each bed was taking more than 3 to 4 patients at the same time". 

The staff also stated that, both the male and female wards have eight beds in total. He said the hospital management had been forced to put up temporal structures for admissions.

"So because of that we have to make shit structures and put some additional beds in another structure, which was actually meant for ANC and antenatal care; it was a pavilion and we just covered it and put some few beds there. But majority of the patients share the beds, some even lie on the floor. We just get the mat and the mothers sit with them like that". 

The staff emphasised the situation was affecting quality healthcare delivery. 

The facility also lacks the infrastructure for administrative services and accommodation for staff.  

Due to the situation, certain critical services are unavailable and patients have to travel to Walewale and Tamale to access them. 

The facility's theater is currently operated in a cubicle with few lab staff and equipment due to the lack of space.  

The facility has also suspended ophthalmology service because of no accommodation for staff. The internal auditor, psychiatrist and the nutritionist are yet to report due to the situation. 

"Because of inadequate accommodation, some of the staff are pairing with their colleagues and other are still hanging around, they have not reported", another staff disclosed.

He continued, "management were compelled to house three units in one; the nutrition unit, the mental health unit and the public health unit. As I'm talking to you now, our wellness clinic is under a tree because of inadequate infrastructure".

The situation has become a great concern to the chiefs and people of the area.   

The community in efforts to tackle the deplorable condition of the facility mobilized and started the construction of a three unit ward structures.  They have, however, run out funds and are calling on philanthropists and interest groups to come to their aid. 

"That is why I want to appeal to those who may help us to expand the hospital for us, so that the people of Soo traditional area will enjoy," the Paramount Chief stated.