Residents of Ashiabre, a farming community in the Nkwanta South Municipality of the Oti Region, are appealing to the Municipal Assembly, government agencies, and benevolent individuals and organisations to support the construction of a Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound to address their pressing healthcare needs.
Community members say the absence of a nearby health facility has made access to medical care difficult, particularly for pregnant women, children, and the elderly.
In many cases, sick residents are forced to travel to Odumase and Kechiebi for treatment—journeys they describe as stressful, costly, and sometimes risky, especially during emergencies.
Speaking to Adom News, the Assemblyman for the Odumase/Ashiabre Electoral Area, Edward Yilegne, expressed concern that healthcare access has remained one of the community’s longest-standing challenges since Ashiabre was established.
He explained that expectant mothers, including those in labour, are often compelled to travel long distances before receiving medical attention.
Edward Yilegne cited a recent incident in which the community nearly lost a woman due to complications during delivery. According to him, the lack of a CHPS facility meant she had to be transported all the way to Nkwanta for care—an ordeal worsened by the poor state of the road linking Ashiabre to surrounding towns.
“The road is in a bad condition, and imagine travelling with a pregnant woman in that situation,” he noted, stressing that delays caused by distance and poor road networks can turn preventable conditions into life-threatening emergencies.
He believes a CHPS compound would significantly reduce maternal and child health risks, improve emergency response times, and ease the burden of travelling long distances for basic healthcare services. He therefore called on government and development partners to support the establishment of the facility.
Some residents also echoed the call, urging authorities to treat the request as urgent. They pointed out that as a farming community, they are frequently exposed to hazards such as snake bites and other health complications associated with agricultural work.
With a CHPS compound in place, they believe healthcare delivery would improve, lives would be saved, and residents would receive timely medical attention without the added hardship of travel.
For the people of Ashiabre, the appeal is not only about infrastructure but about ensuring accessible healthcare and protecting vulnerable community members from avoidable risks.
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