The Kassena Nankana West District Health Directorate has officially opened a new children’s ward at the Kassena Nankana East Health Centre in Bembisi. The 10-bed facility, inaugurated on Wednesday, September 17, aims to enhance pediatric healthcare services in the community and ease the patient load at the main district hospital.
At the commissioning event, District Director of Health Lawal Alhassan highlighted that the project is part of the Ghana Health Service’s “network of practice” initiative launched in 2024. This program focuses on strengthening sub-district health centers to manage specific cases locally, thereby preventing overcrowding in district hospitals. “Last year, the Ghana Health Service introduced the network of practice to build capacities in sub-districts for handling cases that would otherwise overwhelm the district hospital. We started with two centers: Kassena Nankana East Health Center and Chaina Health Centre,” he explained.
Alhassan revealed that the ward was funded through internally generated resources after successful efforts to curb revenue leakages within the health center.
“While attempts to replicate this initiative in other facilities were unsuccessful, here, with strong support from management and staff, we mobilized internal funds and completed this structure in less than a year using limited resources,” he noted.
The Health Director praised the dedication of the Kassena Nankana East Health Center’s management and staff and acknowledged the community’s active involvement in supporting the facility. He reassured that the District Health Directorate remains committed to backing the center as it works to overcome ongoing challenges.