Augustine Appiah
Residents of Bimponso in the Twifo Atti-Morkwa District of the Central Region have appealed to authorities to connect their community to the national electricity grid.
They said the move will help improve their living conditions, particularly, healthcare delivery.
They emphasised that the absence of electricity in the community is hindering the effective functioning of the only CHPS Compound in the area.
“The lack of electricity is negatively affecting our access to healthcare services, especially skilled delivery services in the night,” the residents lamented.
A visit to the area revealed that electricity poles have been erected and wired but are yet to be connected to power.
In separate interviews, the residents indicated that the situation posed a serious challenge to pregnant women, as they are compelled to provide torchlight before they could deliver.
The Assembly Member for the area, Augustine Appiah, confirmed that nurses often rely on torchlights to assist expectant mothers, adding that in some cases, babies were lost due to the lack of proper lighting and equipment.
He said aside the improvement of healthcare delivery, availability of electricity could enable the residents to engage in other businesses to earn a living.
Mr. Appiah pointed out that he has written several letters to the authorities concerned to complain about the adverse effects the situation is having on the residents and the need to be connected to the national grid, but had received no response.
The spokesperson for the chief of the area, Nana Kofi Asare, stated that all the electricity poles erected have been wired but are yet to be connected to power.
“There was an initiative to provide electricity to our community. Poles were erected and wired, and what was left was the installation of meters,” he disclosed.
He, therefore, appealed to the government to complete the project to help improve their living conditions.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Bimponso