Damongo, Savannah Region – The Bishop of Damongo, Most Rev. Peter Paul Angkyier, has made a heartfelt appeal to President John Dramani Mahama to support the renovation of the maternity ward at the St. Anne Catholic Hospital, where he (President Mahama) was born.
He described the current state of the maternity ward as dire and deeply concerning stating, “You will be very sad If you see the maternity ward.”
The appeal was made during a visit by Members of Parliament on the Select Committee on Health to the hospital as part of a working tour of health facilities in the Savannah Region.
Bishop Angkyier stated, “President Mahama was born in this hospital, for those who are not aware. But if you go and see the maternity where the children and the mothers are, you will be very sad. Some have to lie on the floor.”
He emphasized the importance of completing a stalled maternity complex project that the Diocese has been trying to execute for years.
“We have tried as a diocese over the years. It has not worked out. We are still searching. But since you have come and since we are working together, I want to bring it out,” he appealed to the MPs.
The Bishop stressed that improving the maternity facilities is not only about comfort but is essential to raising the hospital’s quality rating.
“If we want to get to the level five, and even to a higher level in terms of quality health delivery, we will need some critical staff for that. But infrastructure plays a big part too,” he added.
According to him, the maternity ward at St. Anne’s has long served residents from across the Savannah Region and even neighboring countries, but resource constraints have left it overcrowded and poorly equipped.
The Bishop is hopeful that President Mahama would consider the appeal favorably with his connection to the hospital.
“It’s a huge project, this maternity complex, and we would be grateful for any support, especially from someone who has roots in this very place,” he said.
The Bishop’s appeal was met with sympathy from members of the health committee, who promised to elevate the issue to appropriate channels for attention and action.
The team also noted that the old abandoned maternity block where the President was born could be renovated as a form of tourist attraction to inspire the pregnant women that their children could also grow up to become important personalities regardless of where they were born.
