The residents of Polee in the Tanina Electoral Area in the Wa West District, have appealed to the government to consider connecting the community to the national electricity grid, to help improve their living condition, especially healthcare delivery.
The residents said the lack of electricity at the community was negatively affecting their access to healthcare services, especially skilled delivery services in the night.
“When I was to deliver this baby, it was in the night, I went to the clinic and the baby was coming out but the midwife said I should go and bring a lamp before she can attend to me”, Madam Karima Abdala, a lactating mother told the Ghana News Agency in an interview.
“My husband brought a torch light but she said it was not bright enough so my husband had to get brighter light before I was attended to,” she added.
The situation, they said, had posed a serious challenge to pregnant women, children and the aged at the community, as they were compelled to provide light before they could be treated, without which they were referred to other facilities in the area.
Aside the lack of electricity impeding healthcare delivery at the community, the residents observed that availability of electricity at the community could enable them to engage in small businesses such as selling of sachet water at the community to earn a living.
Polee Naa Sidik Yakubu Kunmuglidoma, the Chief of the community, told the GNA that the lack of electricity at the community had led to rampant social vices such as theft at night.
“You can’t see a thief in the night, so when they steal your animal, the only thing you can do is to shout, that’s all, you can’t see him or her to know the weapon the person is holding. So, you can’t chase them,” he explained.
The residents therefore appealed to the Wa West District Assembly and the central government to come to their aid by connecting the community to the national grid to help alleviate their plight.
Lack of electricity is a major challenge affecting livelihood at the Wa West District. In the Tanina Electoral Area for instance, only one out of 17 communities in the electoral area were connected to the national grid.
Mr Seidu Kassim, Assembly Member for the area, said he was troubled by the situation and that he was lobbying at the District Assembly to secure slots for some of the communities in the Electoral Area on the next phase of the rural electrification project.
Source: GNA