Report by Daniel Donkor
Relatives of pregnant women seeking care at the Yawhima Health Centre in the Sunyani Municipality are sometimes compelled to carry gallons and buckets of water to the facility due to a worsening water crisis that continues to disrupt healthcare delivery.
Health authorities at the centre have therefore issued an urgent appeal for the construction of a mechanised borehole to provide a reliable and sustainable source of water for the facility.
The Physician Assistant and Officer-in-Charge of the health centre, Mr Kwadwo Addai, said the facility has been struggling with an unreliable water supply from the Ghana Water Company Limited, forcing management to depend heavily on costly private tanker services to sustain daily operations.
“We currently purchase water from private tanker operators at a cost of about GH¢200 per tanker each day just to keep the facility running,” Mr. Addai revealed in an interview. “Without that intervention, it becomes extremely difficult to provide essential healthcare services.”
According to him, the situation has placed considerable strain on both healthcare workers and patients, particularly expectant mothers who require constant medical attention and proper sanitation conditions.
“In some instances, relatives of pregnant women and other patients have had to bring gallons or buckets of water along when coming to the facility,” Mr. Addai revealed in an interview. “It is a very difficult situation for both the staff and the patients we serve.”
The Yawhima Health Centre, which was established more than a decade ago, serves over 10,000 residents in Yawhima and several surrounding communities. It remains the only health facility serving the New Dormaa sub-district of the Sunyani Municipality.
The centre records an average monthly patient attendance of between 800 and 1,200 people, making it a vital healthcare provider for the growing population in the area.
Mr. Addai disclosed that the facility currently purchases water from private tanker operators at a cost of about GH¢200 per tanker each day to meet basic operational needs.
He described the situation as both dire and unsustainable, warning that the continued water shortage could undermine sanitation standards, infection prevention protocols and overall healthcare delivery if urgent action is not taken.
“Water is fundamental to healthcare delivery. Without a reliable supply, it becomes extremely difficult to maintain proper hygiene and infection control within the facility,” he stressed.
Mr. Addai further revealed that the management of the health centre has formally written to several institutions, including the Sunyani Municipal Assembly, the Member of Parliament through the Yawhima Assembly member, and other stakeholders, seeking assistance to provide a mechanised borehole for the facility.
However, he noted that the appeals have so far yielded no response, leaving the centre to continue relying on expensive tanker services as a temporary solution.
Responding to the situation, the Sunyani Municipal Director of Health Services, Dr. Adinkrah Kyeremeh, expressed concern over the development, describing the water shortage at the facility as unacceptable.
He noted that the Yawhima Health Centre serves as a critical healthcare hub for several surrounding communities, making reliable access to water essential for its effective operation.
“The facility plays a key role in providing healthcare services to many communities, and access to water is critical to its work,” Dr. Kyeremeh said.
Health authorities at the centre are therefore calling on the Sunyani East Member of Parliament, the Sunyani Municipal Assembly, corporate organisations, and philanthropists to urgently intervene by supporting the construction of a mechanised borehole.
They believe such an intervention will provide a lasting solution to the water crisis and significantly improve healthcare delivery for thousands of residents who depend on the facility.
