The Rotary Club of Accra-East has commissioned water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) project at the Pantang Hospital in the Greater Accra Region.

The project comprised the renovation of 2 male ward washrooms, drilling and mechanizing of 2 boreholes, construction of 2 septic tanks, laying of new pipelines in 3 wards, provision of a new storage tank, and the renovation of the signage at the entrance of the hospital.

This support seeks to improve access to safe and adequate water supply and basic sanitation facilities, assisting the hospital in achieving its water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) goals.

During the commissioning ceremony on Saturday, Rotarian President for the Club Oga Sourou Serge, who is passionate about mental health, urged the hospital to integrate mental health screenings into regular health check-ups.

He emphasised the importance of creating awareness on mental health to reduce stigmatisation and increase understanding among people.

“We need to sensitise more people when it comes to mental health. I wish everywhere that we are having health screening, mental screening is included. It can be a way of removing the stigma. We need to fight that stigma so that mental health can be universally understood and when someone is mentally challenged, we can support them,” he said.

Mr Serge also asked the staff at the Pantang Hospital to take ownership of the new projects and ensure their long-term sustainability.

He highlighted the involvement of staff from the project's inception as a key strategy for fostering ownership and addressing challenges collaboratively.

“As staff of Pantang Hospital, you have the responsibility to maintain the facilities. I wish you own these projects and make sure they are sustainable. And it is because we wanted this sustainability that is why we involved you from the onset to identify the issues together, and while implementing the project, all the challenges we faced, we discussed together and some of the changes you made, we accepted them because we want you to own it,” he added.

The Pantang Hospital’s Clinical Coordinator, Dr Julius Xatse, expressed his gratitude to the Rotary Club for selecting his facility as a beneficiary of the WASH project.

He promised that the hospital would take good care of the new facilities and utilize them effectively.

“This project is going to go a long way because we know how water and sanitation play a crucial role concerning the health of individuals as well as persons with mental illnesses.

It would be very bad for someone who comes into the hospital with a condition like bipolar disorder and leaves with a typhoid fever infection. So this project will enhance the quality of healthcare that is already being delivered here at Pantang Hospital,” he said.

A former patient of the Pantang Hospital, Cindy Boadu, commended the Rotary Club for their contribution to the health facility, which helped her regain consciousness.

She urged the public to continue supporting mentally ill patients and not forget them.

Rotary is comprised of a network of clubs in over 200 countries and territories, with more than 1.4million members worldwide.

These clubs work to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, promote ethical standards, and advance goodwill and peace around the world.