A member of the New Patriotic Party communications team in the Upper East Region, Pascal Kasser Tee, has raised concerns about gaps in health infrastructure in the region, calling for more deliberate planning to improve service delivery.
Speaking in an interview on A1 Radio, Mr. Kasser Tee stressed the need for authorities to rethink the region’s approach to healthcare development, particularly in relation to plans to establish a medical school.
He noted that many municipal and district capitals across the country have their own hospitals to handle basic cases, allowing regional hospitals to focus on referrals. However, he said Bolgatanga lacks a fully functioning municipal hospital separate from the regional facility, placing pressure on the main hospital.
“I don’t know what is really wrong with us as a people in the Upper East. We need to be deliberate about certain decisions. Across the country, district and municipal capitals have their own hospitals. So Bolgatanga Municipal is supposed to have its own hospital,” he said.
“Unfortunately, I don’t know how we are moving from the known to the unknown instead of building on what we already know,” he added.
According to him, the absence of a distinct municipal hospital means that both minor and major cases are directed to the same facility, resulting in overcrowding and reduced convenience for patients.
He suggested that the region could have adopted a more structured approach by developing a new regional hospital at a different location while converting the existing facility to serve municipal needs.
“We were supposed to earmark a place specifically for the regional hospital. Today, it is difficult to describe the facility as either a regional or municipal hospital because it is serving both purposes. Municipal and referral cases are all directed there, and the place is often overcrowded,” he said.
“Sometimes, aside from the health concerns, the congestion alone makes it inconvenient for patients,” he added.
Mr. Kasser Tee emphasized the need for intentional planning in future health projects, urging stakeholders to make strategic decisions that will improve healthcare delivery in the region.
He added that plans to establish a medical school should also be pursued with clear and deliberate planning to ensure it complements existing infrastructure.
“Now that we are talking about a medical school, we must approach it deliberately,” he said.
A1 Radio | 101.1 Mhz | Gifty Eyram Kudiabor | Bolgatanga
