Residents of Kuni in the Yendi Municipality of the Northern Region, have described the rehabilitation of their CHPS compound as a major boost to healthcare delivery in the area.

According to the residents, they are encouraged to seek healthcare from the facility, unlike in the past when the clinic was in a dilapidated state.

The residents say the provision of water would also help increase the interest of mothers to attend welfare clinics for children.

They said most mothers refused to send their children to the facility because they had to go with a bucket of water anytime they attended weighing and that was discouraging.

The residents said this at the commissioning of the facility constructed by the Rural Water and Development Programme Ghana and its partners. The CHPS compound had its rooms, washrooms among others renovated. The partners also provided a mechanised borehole and connected it to the facility.

Speaking at the event, a resident, Christopher Ruth said the community was faced with acute water shortage most part of the year.

She said with the provision of water, they are free to undertake other activities apart from spending their entire day searching for water.

”What you have done for us it’s too much; we appreciate that, especially water. We were facing the problem of water everywhere. When they call us for weighing you have to go to the river and fetch water and students too when they are going to school the water that we manage in the house they fetch to the school,” she said.

Another resident, Gideon Ama said they had to climb the mountain each day several times and that was laborious.

The Midwife for the Kuni CHPS compound, Vivian Akaba said the water provided will help control infections at the facility and reduce waterborne diseases in the area.

Madam Vivian appealed for support for the construction of a detention room for the facility. She also appealed to the government to offer incentives to nurses who are serving in deprived communities.

The Municipal Director for Health Service, Hajia Hajara Haruna said the renovation means a lot to the Health Service Directorate because they as an institution could not have done it.

She said there are similar structures in the area that needs renovation. He thus appealed for help from the NGO and other philanthropists.

Executive Director of Water for West Africa, Ricky Mac Walters, said their mission is to care for those that are suffering and in need of facilities like the clinic. He said they are dedicated to service and the love for the people, adding that many people in the US are part of those supporting such projects because of their love for humanity.

Chief Executive Officer of Rural Water and Development Programme Ghana, Nathan Adams Junior on his part said RWDP has been working in the WASH sector for the past 30 years, and has drilled over 1,500 wells for communities across the country.

He said having worked with UNICEF on WASH, especially on its emergency response to WASH during Covid-19, they have come to appreciate the challenges that health facilities in rural Ghana face, hence their support to these communities.

The Community School in the area with a population of over 700 was also provided with water.