Dr Sefakor Kpormegbe, Medical Superintendent of Ketu North Municipal Hospital has appealed to citizens to support efforts of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in providing free access to healthcare in rural communities.
She said most rural communities were either challenged by the absence of health infrastructure and equipment, or outmoded structures and that the only time some community members might get to access quality healthcare, was through health outreaches to those areas.
Dr Kpormegbe made the appeal during a free medical screening exercise organised at Bedikope in Ketu North by Morfiala Foundation, an NGO, with funding from Angels for Brazil and Africa.
She commended the NGO for the initiative to provide free medical service to over 300 participants in the community and its adjoining ones saying, the Foundation needed more push for sustenance of the programme and to reach out to other remote areas.
“While I call on other NGOs to emulate the move by Morfiala Foundation to embark on this exercise, I’ll appeal to individuals who have the means to support the work of NGOs, especially those into health to enable them provide services to meet the healthcare needs of rural communities.”
“Access to healthcare in most rural communities is challenging and it has a serious health implication for the population. Sometimes, it takes God’s mercy to save clients when they arrive late to major health facilities, which are miles away from them,” Dr Kpormegbe said.
Madam Rebecca Dzidzorgbe Amuzu, the President of Morfiala Foundation, expressed appreciation to the medical team and donors for their support to screen over 300 people for various medical conditions.
She said medical outreach was important to make healthcare accessible to people in rural communities to achieve the goal number three of the United Nations Sustainable Developmental Goals.
Madam Amuzu also called on donors not only to support the health sector, but vocational skills development of teenage girls to alleviate poverty in society.
Mr Kofi Jonathan Vordzorgbe, Director of Angels for Brazil, and Africa, assured of their continuous support for such initiatives to provide access to healthcare to people in remote areas saying, theirs was for the rural community.
Some beneficiaries who spoke to Ghana News Agency expressed their joy for the initiative to bring a medical team to Bedikope to see to their health needs.
Togbi Bedie Ahadzi IV, the Chief of Bedikope thanked the Foundation and all who made the medical mission possible saying the community needed more of such initiatives.
He said the community would provide land to any NGO that could build a permanent health facility for them so that the people would not have to travel long distances to seek healthcare, and it would also complement the work of the Municipal Hospital at Weta, which was not easily accessible to the community.
