Kaasi is a predominantly farming community under the Kandiga Traditional Area in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region. The community is known for cultivating crops such as millet, maize, and groundnuts. However, it is grappling with significant health challenges, largely due to the absence of a bridge over a stream that connects it to neighboring communities.
In the heart of the community is the Kaasi Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound, the only health facility serving Kaasi and the surrounding villages. The facility, which became operational in 2014 after its completion in 2012, provides critical health services, including antenatal and postnatal care, immunizations, family planning services, and routine medical consultations. However, its accessibility is severely compromised due to the lack of a bridge over the stream that separates it from other areas.
During heavy rains, the water level in the stream rises dangerously, making it nearly impossible for residents to cross safely. Pregnant women, children, and the elderly, in particular, face the brunt of this problem, as they are often forced to wade through the water to access healthcare services at the CHPS compound. Many residents, fearful of the dangerous conditions, are reluctant to visit the health facility, increasing the risk of complications from delayed medical care.
The absence of a bridge over the stream connecting Kaasi to the neighboring Atiyorum community has made it dangerous for residents, particularly expectant mothers like Akasoma Apehela-era, to reach the only CHPS compound in the area, especially during the rainy season when the stream floods.
“I have to wade through the water to get to the health facility. It’s very risky, especially in my condition; what if I fall and the water takes me away?” Madam Apehela-era shared. She emphasized that many pregnant women in the community endure the same hardship, adding, “Sometimes, we just can’t make it to our antenatal appointments.”
Health workers at the Kaasi CHPS compound are not immune to these challenges. Ayamdoo Jennifer, a midwife at the facility, has had to wade through the stream daily to provide care for her clients.
“Because of the level of the water, the women don’t like visiting the facility. When some of them come for registration, they don’t return for antenatal care because of the water level. So, I have to trace them to their homes,” she stated.
Even while heavily pregnant, Jennifer continues to cross the water to serve her patients, enduring the dangerous conditions as part of her daily routine.
“Looking at my situation, crossing the water is not easy. Sometimes you will slip and fall. Coming to work is also difficult. Sometimes, I have to let a man assist me to cross the stream. There are other routes, but this route is even better. When we get emergency cases either at the facility or at home, there is nothing we can do because even the tricycle ambulances can’t access the roads. Some midwives were posted here; they reported and never returned,” she added.
Health workers at the Kaasi CHPS compound undertake outreach services to areas such as Azuredoone, Zangadoone, and Awaaboka. However, the lack of a bridge is not only a safety concern but also affects outreach activities in these areas. The ongoing vaccination campaign against measles, rubella, and Vitamin A supplementation is struggling to meet its target due to the inaccessibility of the CHPS compound for residents of neighboring communities. According to the Senior Staff Nurse at the Kaasi CHPS, Mavis Amenga-Etego, the health workers aim to vaccinate 568 children, but many families cannot cross the stream, which will impact their ability to reach their goals.
“With regards to the measles/rubella and Vitamin A supplementation, because of the poor condition of the roads, we cannot reach everyone,” she stated.
In addition to the challenges posed by the stream, the CHPS compound is burdened by a lack of basic amenities, including electricity. The facility was built decades ago, and health workers often rely on phones and torches to conduct deliveries.
“If it is nighttime and a client comes for outpatient services, we have to use a torchlight or our phone light to attend to them. The disheartening part is the pregnant women who, with no option, go through the waters in the stream, and at the end of the day, we have to use torchlight or phone light to deliver a child. It is very sad. It doesn’t motivate us. For the past four years that I have been posted here, we have had to use phones and torchlight for deliveries,” Mavis expressed regret.
The residents of Kaasi, recognizing the severity of the problem, have taken matters into their own hands. With limited resources, they have managed to mold six culverts for a potential bridge, but financial constraints have stalled the project. The assemblyman for the Kaasi/Atiyorum electoral area, Asaliya Justine, expressed the community’s frustration. “We have done what we can with our limited resources, but we need government support to finish the bridge. So far, all efforts to get help from the district authorities have not been successful,” Mr. Asaliya said.
The chief of Kandiga, Naba Henry Abawine Amenga-Etego II, echoed these concerns, urging the government and other stakeholders to come to the community’s aid. “When a woman comes in at midnight to deliver and the delivery goes wrong, are we blaming the midwife or whom are we blaming? We mobilized the community and tried to bridge the stream, but we couldn’t succeed because of the lack of funds. We have appealed to the government through the Kassena-Nankana West District Assembly, but they have never paid heed.”
“Our people are suffering. The lack of a bridge is cutting us off from essential health services. We are appealing to the government and other stakeholders to help us complete the bridge so our people can access healthcare and other services safely,” the chief lamented.
The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.8 focuses on achieving universal health coverage by 2030. This goal aims to ensure that everyone, regardless of location or income, has access to essential health services without financial hardship. However, the infrastructural challenges faced by the Kaasi community may undermine Ghana’s efforts to attain SDG 3.8 by the year 2030. Addressing this issue would require urgent infrastructural development, such as building a bridge over the stream and connecting the facility to the national grid, to ensure that everyone in Kaasi can access the healthcare they need.
A1Radioonline.com | 101.1 MHz | Joshua Asaah | Kaasi
