A landmark visit by the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Gas, Judith Adjobah Blay, to the Prestea Himan Traditional Council has ignited fresh hope for one of Ghana’s oldest and most dilapidated health facilities.
During what traditional leaders described as an unprecedented engagement, the first of its kind by a sitting CEO of the gas company, Ms. Blay made it clear that her mission was one of assessment and action.
“My visit here is mainly to get first-hand information about the male ward at the hospital. So after here, I’m going there. And if there is a need to extend our services to other facilities, we will check as well to improve the quality of healthcare delivery services,” she stated.
Following her fact-finding engagement with the traditional council, the CEO pledged the company’s commitment to construct a dedicated male ward for the Prestea Government Hospital a promise that directly tackles a staggering infrastructure deficit that has persisted since the facility was commissioned 97 years ago, in 1929, by the now-defunct State Gold Mining Company.
Decades of minimal renovation have left the hospital in a state of chronic decay, making maintenance costs prohibitively expensive. The structural fragility posed a constant threat until March 2023, when a heavy rainstorm dramatically ripped the roof off the existing male ward. Medical staff were forced to evacuate male patients to the theater as an emergency measure.
With no permanent solution in place, male patients are still regularly treated on the floor.
The problem has been a long-standing concern for local leaders. In 2023, the Chief of the area Nana Nteboa Prah V, formally requested the Member of Parliament for Prestea Huni-Valley to facilitate the ward’s rehabilitation.
That same year, an assembly-led project to construct a new male ward was halted, leaving the hospital to rely solely on a children’s wing commissioned in 2023.
“We have received information that Ghana Gas Company is preparing to help build a male ward at the Prestea Government Hospital. This has been a major challenge for our Member of Parliament, as we have been pressing him from time to time on how he will help get this facility built. He has kept assuring us that there is hope for the future, so your coming here comes as a relief to us, the community,” he stated.
The hospital’s challenges extend far beyond its crumbling walls. Medical Superintendent Gideon Ampong Otto has issued an urgent appeal for a mechanized borehole, revealing that the facility’s current water supply is saturated with high ionic content, rendering it unsafe for use.
While a mechanized borehole was installed in 2013, water quality has remained a persistent problem due to pollution from small-scale mining activities in the area.
The appeal underscores a dire need for a sustainable and safe water source to support both patient care and basic sanitation.
“One of our major challenges is the space available to nurse patients. Our infrastructure was originally developed in 1929, and since then, no major additions have been made. The population has exploded over that time, so we now find it very difficult to get enough space to care for patients. Additionally, because the infrastructure is old, maintenance has become very expensive.
Another problem we are facing is the high ionic content in our borehole water. Whenever water is pumped, it initially comes out red due to these ions. This not only causes corrosion but also makes the water unsuitable for drinking,” he lamented.
Ms. Blay’s visit is being hailed as a turning point in relations between Ghana Gas and its host communities. By pledging to build a new male ward, she has directly addressed one of the most critical health infrastructure deficits in the Prestea area.
The commitment goes beyond construction; it also includes plans to expand employment opportunities for local indigenous people. For a hospital serving over 176,000 people, the project has the potential to transform a struggling outpost into a facility truly equipped to meet the community’s needs.
As the hospital continues to grapple with the dual threats of 19th-century infrastructure and mining-polluted water, the Ghana Gas pledge offers a crucial lifeline. For the people of Prestea, the construction of a dedicated male ward simply cannot come soon enough.
By Ebenezer Atiemo
