Some Members of Parliament (MP) during a recent visit to the Maamobi Polyclinic and its environs were dismayed when they were informed that the Polyclinic has not had regular water supply for the past ten years.

This problem according to the finance officer at the polyclinic is having a serious effect on the finances of the clinic since they buy four trucks of water per week at a cost of GH¢296.

According to a former assembly member of Maamobi West, the water crisis started in 1998 when the Olushegun Obasanjo Way was constructed and this led to the separation of the pipelines of Maamobi from residential areas of Roman Ridge, Airport and Dzorwolu.

The former assembly member revealed that several efforts to the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) and recently AVRL who visited the community proved futile.

The MPs who were made up of Committee Members of Gender and Children, Finance, government assurance, local and rural development and public accounts were at the suburb as part of their community engagement activities. The visit was organized by the Parliamentary Center, while Civic Response facilitated the engagement.

The activity took the form of a walk and plenary sessions with the youth, women and men .

While at the hospital, the MPs were informed by a nurse at the delivery ward that expectant women provide "Pure Water" or "Kufuor gallon" of water for maternity and this is forcing them to compromise on sanitation at the maternity ward. Worse, the polyclinic does not have an incubator.

The Parliamentary Select Committee members expressed shock that the community being one of the most populous in the Accra Metropolis could not boast of regular supply of water.

Apart from water being the major problem of the polyclinic, there were a number of critical issues. It came to light that hospital has no ambulance, no sterilization equipment and has only one doctor. Besides, the the recovery ward is so small that babies, women and men are crammed into the same space.

The committee members were informed about a sit-down strike embarked on by nurses to get the state to improve the water situation and the response was for them to transport all patients to the nearest hospital.

The Maamobi Polyclinic witnessed some face-lifting recently during the recent visit of President George Bush of the USA.



Source: Public Agenda