Report by Daniel Donkor
The Chiraa Government Hospital in the Sunyani West Municipality of the Bono Region is grappling with a crisis that lays bare the fragility of healthcare delivery in Ghana.
With only eight beds in its maternity ward, no male ward, two abandoned infrastructure projects, and a grounded ambulance, the facility is stretched beyond capacity, leaving mothers, patients, and healthcare workers in dire conditions.
The Chiraa Government Hospital is one of the busiest health facilities in the Sunyani West Municipality, serving as a referral centre for surrounding communities and parts of the Bono East Region. But within its walls, the daily struggles of staff and patients expose deep cracks in the healthcare system.
“The maternity ward has only eight beds. This makes it extremely difficult to admit new cases and puts immense strain on healthcare delivery,” said Dr. Philip Ohemeng Anokye, the hospital’s Clinical Coordinator, in an interview with GBC News.
The absence of a male ward has compounded the problem. Male patients are now forced to share space in the female emergency ward, creating severe congestion. “This situation compromises both privacy and safety,” Dr. Ohemeng Anokye added.
The hospital’s woes are made worse by two stalled infrastructure projects: a community self-help initiative, which is about 60 percent complete, and a government-initiated facility, nearly 90 percent finished. Both remain abandoned, leaving the hospital trapped in crisis.
“If these projects were completed, the congestion would be greatly reduced, and healthcare delivery here would be transformed,” Dr. Ohemeng Anokye stressed.
Perhaps the most alarming challenge is the lack of emergency response. The hospital’s only ambulance has been grounded for years, leaving staff unable to handle urgent cases.
Referrals to the Sunyani Teaching Hospital depend on the National Ambulance Service, whose nearest station is 14 kilometres away in Sunyani. “It often takes hours for an ambulance to reach Chiraa, and in emergencies, those delays can cost lives,” the Clinical Coordinator lamented.
Dr. Ohemeng Anokye has appealed to government, philanthropists, organisations, and individuals to step in.
“With support to complete the stalled projects and repair the ambulance, Chiraa Government Hospital can regain its dignity and provide the quality healthcare our patients desperately need,” he said.
