By Abraham Donkor
The Queen Mother of Korkorlipome, Avatime Amedzofe in the Ho West District, Her Royal Majesty Asafodzei Korkorwa Otublum II, has commissioned a newly constructed 12-bed detention ward at the Amedzofe Health Centre to enhance healthcare delivery in the area.
The facility, which comprises separate male and female wards, was constructed at a cost of more than GHS300,000. It is expected to significantly reduce referrals to distant health facilities, including the Ho Teaching Hospital, particularly for patients with severe conditions and pregnant women requiring admission.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Asafodzei Korkorwa Otublum II said the project was her personal contribution towards addressing the infrastructural and logistical challenges facing the health centre and improving access to quality healthcare for residents of Amedzofe and surrounding communities.
She appealed to the Ghana Health Service, through the Volta Regional and Ho West District Health Directorates, to expedite the posting of a physician assistant, additional clinical nurses and a permanent security officer to enable the facility to operate 24-hour services. The Queen Mother also called on the Ho West Member of Parliament and the District Chief Executive (DCE) to support the centre with basic laboratory equipment.
The Chief of Avatime Dzokpe, Okusie Kpornuglo X, who represented the Paramount Chief of Avatime, urged health workers to ensure the proper maintenance of the new ward and its furnishings. He further appealed to government, through the Ho West District Assembly, to rehabilitate the deplorable Amedzofe town roads as well as the Fume–Gbadzeme–Amedzofe road network.
In response, the DCE for Ho West, Francis Profey Dussey, assured residents that the rehabilitation of the Amedzofe town roads had been prioritised by government. He also called on community members to embrace peaceful coexistence and encouraged well-to-do citizens to support local development initiatives.
The Director of Administration at the Volta Regional Health Directorate, Charles Torkornoo, representing the Regional Director of Health Services as the Special Guest of Honour, advised patients to accept referrals to better-resourced facilities when necessary. He also urged residents to enrol on the National Health Insurance Scheme to help reduce the cost of healthcare.
While commending the Queen Mother’s initiative, Mr Torkornoo appealed to philanthropists to support the construction of a separate maternity ward for the health centre.
The Amedzofe Health Centre, established more than 40 years ago as a health post and later upgraded to a clinic, has largely relied on community support through the Amedzofe Development Association (ADA) and benevolent citizens for infrastructure and logistics. Despite these efforts, the facility continues to face critical challenges that affect its effective operation.
