Simpa Health Centre under renovation
The Wassa Simpa Health Centre in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality is in urgent need of assistance, as its ongoing renovation project has left healthcare workers and patients struggling under difficult conditions.
The facility, which has long suffered from structural defects, is currently undergoing a facelift. However, delays caused by funding shortages have severely impacted healthcare delivery.
Since the renovation began, health workers have been operating from a temporary structure, drastically reducing the available space for medical services. According to Madam Mary Ponful, the Physician Assistant in charge of the facility, the situation is deteriorating by the day.
“Right now, we are using just four rooms for all our services. Two rooms are for general OPD, and two are for maternity services. There is no privacy for our clients. While attending to someone in the consulting room, another patient is lying on the same bed, and another is having their vitals checked in the same space. There is no privacy at all.”
The absence of proper washrooms has further compounded the challenges, forcing patients and staff to use any available space—raising serious sanitary concerns.
“The situation has significantly reduced our number of patients. Many people no longer want to come here for deliveries because of the poor conditions. The family planning unit is also affected—it’s an open space with no privacy, which discourages people from coming. Privacy is our biggest challenge.”
The Simpa Health Centre was undergoing expansion to accommodate more healthcare units, but despite initial progress, the project has stalled due to a lack of funding.
The community, with support from the Municipal Health Directorate, initially mobilized funds to begin the renovations. However, those resources quickly ran out.
A recent intervention by the Motherhood of Africa Foundation has provided a lifeline, with a donation of 50 bags of cement, two trips of sand, and a promise of additional construction materials to restart work. Still, much more is needed to complete the project and restore full healthcare services.
Health officials, community leaders, and residents are appealing to the government, corporate organizations, and philanthropists to step in and support the initiative. Hon. Emmanuel Gyima, Assembly Member for the Simpa Electoral Area, emphasized the urgency of the situation.
“Our health centre is struggling, and we need all the help we can get. The work that has been done so far is commendable, but we need more support to complete the project. The people of Simpa deserve a fully functional healthcare facility,” he said.
The Simpa Health Centre is a critical facility serving hundreds of people within the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality. Without immediate intervention, healthcare delivery will continue to deteriorate, putting lives at risk.
