Nzulenzo, the village on stilt
The residents of Nzulenzo, a village on stilt in the Jomoro municipality of the Western Region have bemoaned the absence of a health facility in the area to meet their health needs despite the place being a popular tourists site in the region.
The people cannot fathom why the community which is one of Ghana’s most popular tourist locations and which contributes enough revenue to support the country’s economy lacks a health facility.
They said because the area lacked a health facility, residents have to travel to Beyin and other nearby settlements in order to receive prompt medical care, particularly, in an emergency.
“Considering the mode of transportation, which is obviously by water, getting to Beyin and other neighboring communities to access healthcare is extremely difficult”, they indicated.
Speaking in an interview with DAILY GUIDE, a youth leader at Nzulenzo, Nathaniel Ezuah confirmed that all these years the Nzulezo community had been without a health facility.
He noted that some nurses used to visit the area to offer primary healthcare to the residents but probably because they are not comfortable traveling on the river to the area, they have stopped visiting the community.
“So if someone falls sick at Nzulenzo and cannot afford the services of outboard motor transportation on the river to Beyin or Eikwe, you can imagine what will happen,” he said.
“I believe that the onus lies on the government or the Ghana Tourist Authority (GTA) to construct a health facility for the people, but I learnt several attempts have been made by the opinion leaders to have a clinic in this area but to no avail”, he added.
He claimed that since Nzulezu is a popular tourist site in the Western Region, the establishment of a hospital and other essential amenities ought to be a top priority for the municipal assembly.
Meanwhile, the Assembly member for the Nzulenzo Electoral Area, Patrick Agovi, has indicated that the municipal health directorate in collaboration with their regional counterparts is taking steps to construct a health centre for the people in the area.
“In fact we are almost done with the structure. It is left with a bio-digester toilet since the structure is on water. The local people mobilized resources for the project, but currently we are cash strapped”, he revealed.
He therefore appealed to the government to come to their aid and also make pre-mix fuel available to the community to help power their speed boats which are their only means of transportation.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi