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The sad state of the Kokrobite community clinic
For a health facility of such a well-patronized tourist hub, the Kokrobite clinic’s current state leaves much to be desired, Pulse.com.gh's Portia Arthur reports
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Undoubtedly, it stands tall among the best tourist sites in Ghana. But while the beaches and resorts are everything fun is about, the community itself is one of the poorly developed in Ghana.
As a concerned citizen of my community, I must admit Kokrobite has been treated unfairly when it comes to sharing the national cake. The deplorable state of the neighbourhood is appalling, yet authorities are unperturbed about the plight of its inhabitants.
As strange and surprising as it may sound, all residents of the community are served by only one community clinic. The clinic was built by a Rotary Club member 16 years ago after he suffered a cut at the beach that required a medical professional’s assistance but could find none in Kokrobite.
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After that fateful incident, Rotary Club members solicited for funds and built the clinic for the community. Since that time the hospital has been left to rot. Its facilities have deteriorated with the passing of the years.
The Kokrobite Community Clinic is supervised by a single physician's assistant who starts work at 6am and closes at 2pm.
Although they don’t treat emergency cases, the patients who come after 2pm are assisted by nurses. When cases are beyond the capability of these nurses, the patients are referred to other clinics. This means that the nurses are basically in charge from 2pm till the assistant physician reports the next day.
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A tour of the hospital revealed it has two OPDs, one labour room, one antenatal room, two bathrooms, one accounts office, one male ward, one female ward and a veranda that serves as a reception and waiting area.
Speaking to a nurse on duty, she lamented “there has been no security since the watchman died two months ago and we feel unsafe whenever we are on night shift.”
There are no streets lights in the community too, rendering the clinic and its environs dark after 6pm.
“Since the passing away of the security man, his janitorial and security duties have fallen on us, piling on top of our own primary health duties,” she added.
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Patients’ folders are stored in boxes, making it difficult for the nurses to search for folders. The patients’ information are swept away by water whenever it rains because the roof of the building leaks.
The officer disclosed: “When we have asked the community carpenter to put up cabinets for us, he came to take some measurements last week and has yet to follow up. We are hoping he completes the work soon because we keep losing patient’s information. It’s very bad.”
The roofing of the building is an eyesore. There are leakages everywhere, evident due to the marks on the building; the washing away of the wall’s paint. “Whenever it rains, we have to make sure that all our equipment, drugs and other things are safe before we think of our own safety or the water will destroy what is left of the place.”
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The clinic has no water supply. Ther was supply was disconnected when the road leading to the clinic was being constructed . But after reports and complaints, the situation has still not been rectified.
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“We buy water everyday from the small revenue we get,” one officer explained, “and we store it in our Poly Tanks, using them for cleaning and other daily chores for the clinic’s operation. We try to manage the water till the following day, when we call the water suppliers again.”
The midwife at the clinic disclosed that she assists between 20 to 25 women to deliver their babies in a month, but on days she is overwhelmed some of the pregnant women are refereed to the Gbawe hospital. Even so delivering a baby at the clinic is not as smooth a processas it should be. One patient disclosed that she “ was asked to buy batteries and a torch light as part of the things on the maternity list because the hospital lacks a generator and you know how dumsor has come to stay in Ghana.”
Despite these difficulties the clinic faces staff are willing to give their best to any patient who enters the facility. They are hopeful that certain organizations petitioned would finally come through with financial assistance that would aid in renovation efforts.
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