The Pentecost International Worship Centre, Graceland (PIWC-Graceland) in the Teshie-Nungua Area of The Church of Pentecost has constructed a Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Compound for the residents of Ayetsekope township.
The facility, commissioned and handed over to the Ghana Health Service on Sunday, April 28, 2024, brought together the Chiefs and people from Ayetsekope and its surrounding areas.
According to the District Minister, Pastor Elijah Aduako Adufo, Ayetsekope and its neighbouring communities have long lacked a nearby health facility. Consequently, when residents fell ill, they had to endure arduous journeys to Kajaji, Kojokrom, Kete-Krachi, or Anyinamae, often traversing difficult roads and even braving storms on the Volta Lake, just to access primary healthcare.
He noted that women lacked access to antenatal care, and many resorted to giving birth at home. Moreover, the prevalence of snake and scorpion bites compounded the dire need for such a facility.
It is noteworthy that upon his arrival in 2019, Pastor Elijah Aduako Adufo recognized the necessity for a health centre. Subsequently, he held discussions with the Odikro, Assemblyman, and opinion leaders of Ayetsekope, who collectively agreed to establish a place where nurses could stay and attend to the health needs of the community.
In October 2021, when the project was at the foundation stage, PIWC-Graceland, under the leadership of the former Resident Minister, Apostle Ebenezer Agyapong, stepped in to assist the people of Ayetsekope. However, the community needed to initiate a new construction using blocks. The Odikro and Elders of Ayetsekope provided the current site for the CHPS Compound.
Subsequently, the District Minister, Pastor Elijah Aduako Adufo, in consultation with the former Area Head, Apostle Joseph Danzerl, and the Directorate of the Ghana Health Service, devised a plan for the CHPS Compound. Funds were then received from PIWC-Graceland to commence construction.
In December 2023, PIWC-Graceland, under the leadership of Apostle Felix Okyere Anti, allocated additional funds for the procurement of medical equipment, essential for the operationalisation of the CHPS Compound. In total, an amount of GHS 220,000.00 was disbursed by PIWC-Graceland for the project.
During the handover ceremony to the Ghana Health Service, the Area Head, Apostle Isaac Ayerakwa, offered prayers for the facility and its staff, urging them to uphold the facility’s upkeep to effectively serve the health needs of Ayetsekope and its environs.
The Chiefs and opinion leaders expressed profound gratitude to PIWC-Graceland, the Area Head, District Minister, and all members of the Ayetsekope District for addressing their plight and extending assistance.
Present at the service were the Area Head, Apostle Isaac Ayerakwa, the pastorate in the Kete Krachi Area, Odikro and Elders of Ayetsekope, Former DCE of Sene East District, representatives from PENTSOS, Ghana Health Service, PIWC-Graceland, as well as officers and members of the Ayetsekope District.
Report by Ayetsekope Media Team