Hon Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin
Effutu

Mr Speaker, I again, thank you for the opportunity to bring this matter again to the national space. Yesterday, I visited the Winneba Government Hospital and was involved in a number of public education programmes. The situation at the treatment centre is not good at all. To put it in simple language; water is not flowing in the whole hospital, and the doctors and nurses complained of a shortage of water. So far, although the Minister for Health has visited the
Winneba Health Directorate, nothing has been given to them by way of logistical support.

Mr Speaker, yesterday, I had to buy an additional 100 mattresses for them and I have released another GH₵100,000. The situation is really getting out of hand— Yes, I released GH₵100,000 last week and again, another GH₵100,000 has been released. The Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) are in short supply; they do not have it, although the Minister for Health was there. The Regional Directorate is yet to provide logistical support.

Mr Speaker, Winneba is a commercial centre and people come from all over the region and country to trade in there. So,it should not be seen as a Winneba
problem. Until recently, cholera was elsewhere and now, it is in Winneba; if it is not properly contained, it may get out of hand and may become a major
national health issue. I am using this platform to again, appeal to the Government to intervene. The health professionals are stressed, and people are in distress. They need medication and vaccination. They are exposed; in fact, the male ward of the Winneba Government Hospital has been converted into a cholera treatment centre. They have also set up a tent outside to receive new cases. Children are going through this trauma and the aged are the most affected.

Mr Speaker, it is not a palatable scene. I have uploaded some of the pictures on my social media handle. I did not really capture those on sick beds because it is very pathetic and the Government would have to come in to support them. I am also appealing to agencies in the health sector as well as those in the business of merchandising PPEs to come to the aid of the health facilities in Winneba. It is all they need.
It is a humble appeal to the pharmaceutical companies to support those in need because as I said, there are traders from Swedru who come to Winneba. Winneba has two market days: Tuesdays and Fridays. People buy fish from the nshornaa, the fishermen are still bringing their catch and the landing beach is yet to be commissioned. So the fish is still exposed and the very people who are trading are the ones who are selling for us to eat. So those in Kasoa and Mankessim, if care is not taken, we will be telling another story. It is a very humble appeal and I pray that we move in to intervene. I am appealing to Colleague Members of Parliament who are here.

This is not Effutu’s problem; it is our problem. When I hear of challenges in their backyard, they know how I come in to support them. We are not launching an appeal for funds, but I am calling on Colleagues to make their small contributions and support Effutu. When Hon Ablakwa had the flood situation in his constituency, I gave him 50,000 for his constituents. It is a matter of public records; he announced it in this
Chamber. We all know this, and those of the Members who get challenges in their constituencies, I do not leave them naked. Charity in times like this is very important, so Hon Majority Members, we on the Left Side are in Opposition but they are in Government— They should donate handsomely to support their

Leader’s course because the people there are suffering.
Mma nnka dᴈ ↄyᴈ Effutu fo hↄn asᴈm,
ↄnnyᴈ Edinafo, ↄnnyᴈ Ejumako fo, ↄnnyᴈ
Oguafo hↄn problem. Ↄka hwen a,
enyiwa pruw nsu nti sᴈ ndᴈ ↄyᴈ Effutu a,
ↄkyena ↄbↄkↄ akↄdur Akatsi South.

Mr Speaker, in other words, I am saying that —Mr Speaker, what I am trying to say is that no one individual is an island. When rain falls, as Ola Rotimi said in ‘The gods are not to blame’, a dozen will not fall on one roof only, it falls on every roof. So Mr Speaker, it is Effutu, but the nature of the situation is such that it can have a spiral effect in various communities. So, we have to contain it, and I am, hereby, launching a special appeal for my Friends to contribute handsomely because we would never know when an Akatsi trader would come to Effutu, and he or she may go back, and there may be a problem. So, if we contain it and the traders from Akatsi who come to Effutu to trade get into trouble and they are contained, there would not be any spread. So, I am calling on not only my Brothers and Sisters from the Central Region but the entire House.

Please come to my aid and come handsomely; we need logistics, medication, mattresses, tents and money to support them. When those who go through the challenge are discharged, the food to eat is even a problem. So, if one has rice, sugar, milk, mosquito nets or anything, please donate them, even liquid soap. We need support for our vulnerable compatriots at nshornaa; please, come to the aid of Effutu and please come to their aid through me, and it shall be thankfully received and faithfully applied.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.