About 3,000 residents across seven communities, including Garkuon in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Savannah Region, now have access to a new CHPS compound, designed to improve antenatal care and child health services.
For decades, residents in these communities have struggled to access basic healthcare, often traveling long distances to Tuna and Sawla to receive essential services. The challenge was compounded by the poor condition of the road connecting the communities to Kalba, a remote part of the district.
In response, HiChale, a Kalba-based non-governmental organisation dedicated to community development, stepped in to construct a solar-powered, standard CHPS compound in Garkuon.
Speaking on the project, HiChale Managing Director Emmanuel Dery Kuusani said the organisation acted after learning of the community’s urgent need. “After conducting a brief assessment and consulting local stakeholders, we knew we had to intervene to provide this critical healthcare facility,” he explained.
“Health is our survival, and our survival depends on access to quality healthcare. This facility, officially handed over to the Ghana Health Service today, will address the basic health needs of the community, with a special focus on women and children,” said Mr. Emmanuel Dery Kuusani.
He explained that while the official handover was briefly delayed due to unforeseen security challenges in the district, the facility has already been in use and is fulfilling its intended purpose.
Constructed at a cost of GH₵1 million, the centre is equipped with modern beds, maternal healthcare equipment, a standby generator, and a mechanized water system, ensuring comprehensive and reliable services for the community.
“We recognized the need to support health workers, so we added two residential units, a solar power system, a mechanized borehole, essential medical equipment, and a branded Yamaha motorbike to facilitate outreach services,” said Mr. Kuusani. “With these resources, health staff will be better equipped to provide essential maternal and child healthcare services to the communities that need them most.”
He praised Aktionskreis Pater Hagen and the Rüt’n’Rock Association, along with their donor, Schmitz Stiftung, for their partnership and generous contributions to the project.
Meanwhile, Madam Gertrude Yentumi, District Director of Health for Sawla-Tuna-Kalba, commended HiChale for its exceptional dedication to enhancing healthcare delivery across the district.
She explained that the need for a health facility in the area had long been on the drawing board but lacked funding.
“But today, with the construction of the Garkuon CHPS compound by HiChale, this long-awaited facility has finally become a reality,” she said. “This brings immense relief to the community and to all of us. We are deeply grateful and promise to make the most of it.”
She also highlighted the recent renovation of the Saru CHPS compound by HiChale, describing it as a first-of-its-kind initiative in the enclave.
She emphasized that the CHPS model is central to Ghana’s primary healthcare system, bringing essential services—including maternal and child health care, disease prevention, health education, and emergency care—closer to the people.
“With this new facility, residents of Garkuon will no longer have to travel long distances for basic healthcare,” said Madam Gertrude Yentume. “Pregnant women will have access to safe antenatal services, children can receive timely immunisations, and families will benefit from preventive health education right here in their community.”
She urged local residents to take responsibility for maintaining and protecting the facility, while supporting health workers to ensure its long-term sustainability.
The Garkuonwura, Seidu Adams, expressed gratitude to the organisation behind the project, calling it a major milestone in improving healthcare delivery in the area.