Residents of Vea and its neighboring communities suffer daily due to the absence of a bridge over the Vea Dam spillway in the Bongo district of the Upper East region. The lives of patients and healthcare workers in the community are also at risk as referral services at the Vea Health Center are consistently hindered.
During the rainy season, anyone wanting to cross the Vea Dam spillway must pay at least GHC 5.00 for canoe services. As a result of this, nurses and midwives working in the community are expressing their concerns and calling for immediate action to address the annual challenges they face.
One of the midwives at the Vea Health Center, Anima Erica Lariba, lamented the daily suffering they endure. She shared her thoughts during a press conference organized by the Vea Homecoming Group, highlighting the government’s lack of interest in constructing a bridge over the spillway over the past decade.
She said, “With regards to the spillway, it has not been easy for us at all for years now. We always have to come and cross the boat, either to work or wherever we are going. And it is not only here that we work but we work across Gowrie too, and anytime we come we have to cross with the boat either for vaccination, referral cases, O.P.D. cases, or pregnant women who are in labor or they are in severe conditions and we need to refer them. It has not been easy. We are suffering a lot in this place. We have had some complications as a result of delays in this place, because anytime you are referring a case and you get to this place, you have to wait. Mostly in the night, you have to wait so that they can call someone who can cross us with bolt to come and cross us to another site to get means to continue.”
ongo District Health Director, admitted that the suffering health workers and residents go through when crossing the spillway is unfortunate. Madam Estella, therefore, called on relevant authorities to help address the challenge in order to ensure effective healthcare delivery in the area.
The communities affected during the rainy season due to the lack of a bridge over the dam spillway include Vea, Zorkor, Balungo, Lungu, Nyariga, and Gowrie. These residents are forced to pay a minimum of GHC 5.00 for a canoe ride to cross.
Source: A1Radioonline.Com|101.1MHZ|David Azure |Vea Community|
