Residents of Kumdi and surrounding communities in the Kpandai District are set to benefit from free snakebite treatment and blood transfusions at a newly opened medical facility.

The area, a farming community, has recorded deaths linked to snakebites and a lack of affordable anti-snake venom.

The initiative was announced by Steve-Lee Demuyakor as he commissioned the Titus Medical Centre, a modern 24-hour health facility built to serve the area. He said the centre was established to give back to his community and to mark Mother’s Day.

The facility is expected to reduce the need for residents to travel more than 20 km to Salaga for healthcare.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Demuyakor said the project was inspired by the difficulties women, pregnant mothers, and children face in accessing medical care. He added that it was also motivated by the death of his brother, who died after an accident due to delays in reaching a hospital, a lack of blood, and poor road conditions.

“I lost my brother through an accident after he suffered severe trauma and excessive blood loss. The poor road network from Kumdi to Salaga delayed his transfer to the hospital, and although he could have survived, he sadly passed away,” he recounted.

He said the experience, along with others he had witnessed, led him to establish the facility to help prevent similar deaths.

Mr. Demuyakor said the area’s difficult terrain puts women and children at risk when they must travel long distances for treatment and that some people die in the process.

“The absence of nearby healthcare facilities and poor road networks has, over the years, exposed residents, particularly expectant mothers, to serious health risks due to delays in accessing treatment.”

“As a son of the area, I saw the need to establish a well-equipped health facility that will better serve the needs of our people, especially women and children,” he said.

He noted that high poverty levels make treatment costs a heavy burden and said the facility would provide care at an affordable, reliable cost.

"We are bringing affordable and reliable quality healthcare services closer to the people, especially farming communities where poverty levels make access to healthcare difficult." Mr Demuyakor said

The centre has introduced free routine health checks for people aged 50 and above, including blood pressure and blood sugar screening. It will operate 24 hours and offer services including general outpatient and inpatient care, accident and emergency services, antenatal and postnatal care, delivery services, obstetric ultrasound scanning, child welfare clinic services, family planning, a pharmacy, and medical laboratory services.

To mark Mother’s Day celebration, the centre held a free health screening for women in the community. About 500 women received free consultations and medications.

The Kpandai District Chief Executive, Haruna Abdul-Karim, said the facility’s location in Kumdi was strategic and would benefit several surrounding communities. He said it would complement government efforts to provide quality primary healthcare and urged other development partners and private individuals to invest in the district.

Mr. Abdul-Karim called for proper maintenance of the facility to extend its lifespan, adding that professionalism in service delivery was key to quality healthcare.

Residents welcomed the initiative, describing it as a lifesaver venture that would benefit not only Kumdi but also communities outside the area. They said the challenges they had faced in accessing care would now become a thing of the past.