For 65-year-old widow Daari Bayor, the rainy season means fear. When malaria hits, her first stop isn’t a clinic.

It’s the small blue kiosk near her house where she buys whatever tablets she can afford.

“There’s a health building right here under construction for six years, which is now becoming a white elephant,” she says, pointing to the half-finished CHPS compound standing silent on the outskirts of Kachiau in the Upper West Region.

“So we consume what we have. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t.”

Daari isn’t alone. Since 2020, when the contractor abandoned the Kachiau CHPS compound project halfway, residents say they’ve been forced into dangerous self-medication or long walks to the next community for care.

Assembly Member for Kachiau, Simon Yirinebe, told Joy News in an interview.

“They feel reluctant to even go to the next community. And so definitely they have resorted to using their own drugs, and some are not even going at all. So it's affecting the people greatly.”

In the rainy season, malaria cases spike. But with no functional health post, illness lingers.

“That also affects productivity,” Mr. Yirinebe added.

“Because when you are not healthy and you don't seek medical care, you don't recover fast. So definitely it affects even how you do your work, how you go about your daily activities.”

The abandoned structure has become a symbol of frustration. Walls are up. But the toilets, fittings, and interior work remain undone.

“If you look at it, it's just a few things to finish it. That's even why I'm worried,” Mr. Yirinebe said.

“Why would an existing structure be there like that, and we would be building other new things somewhere? It will not make enough sense to do that."

After follow-ups by the Assembly Member, Wa West District Chief Executive Richard Wulo disclosed that the MP, Supt Rtd Peter Lanchene, has authorised the release of GHS 74,510 from his share of the MP’s Common Fund to complete the project.

“This is a project that was started in 2020 by the former MP. Unfortunately, the contractor abandoned the project halfway,” Mr Yirinebe explained.

“We did some follow-ups, and I later discussed the issue with the MP, who agreed to release some money so that the project could be completed.”

Mr Wulo, who confirmed the release, said the move aligns with the government’s agenda to bring healthcare closer to rural communities.

“We cannot have structures rotting while our people suffer. Completing the Kachiau CHPS compound means nurses will be posted there. It means mothers won’t have to gamble with self-medication. It means real treatment at their doorstep.”

Mr. Yirinebe commended the government’s reset agenda, saying the intervention proves the policy is touching lives in hard-to-reach communities.

“I’m very grateful that the MP has allocated funds to that. That’s good news to hear,” he said.

“Because other than that, the government’s reset agenda will not be something that we can boast about.
But with this release, we are seeing action. The reset is not just a slogan — it’s reaching Kachiau.”

For Mr. Yirinebe, the impact will be immediate.

“Once they have the CHPS compound and nurses are there, they will definitely attend. They will have access to quality healthcare instead of self-medication. These are qualified professional nurses who are going to work there, and they will definitely be treated accordingly.”

In Kachiau, news of the funds has spread fast. For Daari Bayor, it brings hope that the next fever won’t mean a choice between debt and danger.

“When this project is completed," Mr. Yirinebe said, “it will go a long way to bring access to healthcare services to the people.”