Haruna Iddrisu
It has emerged that five polyclinics cited by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government as part of its achievements in the Western Region, do not exist, though they have been captured in the 2016 manifesto of the party.
The NDC, in its manifesto, stated that five polyclinics have been completed and are operational in five areas in the region.
“The following have been completed and are operational: five (5) in the Western Region at Wassa Dunkwa, Bogoso, Nsuaem, Mpohor and Elubo,” the document stated.
However, a visit by a team of resident reporters at the instance of Takoradi-based Skyy Power FM to the Bogoso, Nsuaem and Mpohor districts to verify the claims of the government revealed that there were no such projects in those areas.
At Bogoso, the reporters indicated that the chief of the area gave a piece of land to the government this year for such a project to commence, “but as of now, it is only the clearing of the land that has been done.
“The existing health centre has not had any renovations done on it to give the impression that that structure may be turned into a polyclinic.”
From Nsuaem, which is in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Constituency, the reporters indicated that the town had witnessed nothing like that.
Member of Parliament for Mpohor, Alex Agyekum, made it clear that there was no polyclinic in the town.
He added, however, that the assembly had awarded a contract to someone for the construction of a theatre as a way of upgrading the health centre into a district hospital.
Mr Agyekum said he would be shocked if anybody issued a statement that a polyclinic has been completed and is operational.
Speaking on Accra-based Joy Fm, Employment and Labour Relations Minister Haruna Iddrisu explained that these are mistakes in the manifesto.
He described it as a “regrettable omission” and a “misarrangement of a paragraph” in the manifesto. He explained that the projects are supposed to be part of polyclinics government intends to construct in the future.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi