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| Massive scale of water projects carried out - Kufuor |
2/9/2007 |
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Accra, Feb. 8, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor said on Thursday said a more massive scale of construction of water projects was carried out as part of the provisions of social services over the past year. He said in his State of the Nation address to Parliament that water supply had as high a priority as energy and hundreds of boreholes, hand-dug wells and pipe systems had been constructed.
President Kufuor mentioned one of such major water projects as the Accra East-West Interconnection water supply project, which was due for completion in 2008.
He said the project was designed to transport water from Weija to the Okponglo booster station to augment supply to Adenta, Madina, East Legon, Ashaley Botwe, Kwabenya, Ashongman and Dome all around Accra. President Kufuor said government was negotiating a credit line for work to start in the second quarter of 2007 to desilt the Kpong Dam to guarantee sustained supply to the entire Accra-Tema Metropolis. President Kufuor said a 36.9 million-Euro project to bring water from the Pra River at Hemang in the Central Region was 58 per cent complete and due to be commissioned in November this year to solve the problems of water shortages that often disrupted the school calendar in Cape Coast and its environs.
"Similarly, the rehabilitation of the water treatment plant at Kwanyako, also in the Central Region, is about 95 per cent complete and is to be completed before June to guarantee water for Kwanyako, Swedru and 30 to 40 small and medium towns and villages in that whole area." He said the water project at Baafikrom, near Mankessim, also in the Central Region, which was scheduled to be completed in 2008, would provide portable water to meet demand into year 2020 for many villages and towns in the area.
In the northern belt of the country, the President said a 45 million-Euro water project in Tamale, which would increase production capacity to 9.3 million gallons daily, was also scheduled for completion in 2008 and it would be enough to meet the demand in the area up to year 2015.
President Kufuor mentioned some of the beneficiary communities along the transmission line as Nyankpala, Vitting, Shishegu, Savelugu Kumbungu, as well as Yapeligu and all the way to Pong Tamale, Yoggu, Datoyoli and Walewale.
President Kufuor said other projects were still outstanding and mentioned a 35.8 million-Euro water project for Koforidua, which would have an output of three million gallons a day, was due to be completed in early 2008 to meet demand up to year 2025.
Some of the beneficiary communities of the Eastern Region water project besides Koforidua are Ketenkye, Asokore, Oyoko, Avalalikope, Kasakorpe, Bukuonor, Galorba Oterkpolu, Pleyo, Okper, Odorkrom and Aboabo.
The President said there would be a better chance of success in fighting against water borne diseases in the country when the projects were completed.
Under health care delivery, President Kufuor said at the close of 2006 the number of District Mutual Health Insurance Schemes stood at 134,11 more than the previous year.
He said the Scheme was expected to achieve 55 percent coverage by the end of 2007.
He, however, said 34 per cent of the population had already registered, while 25 per cent had either paid up their premiums fully or belonged to exempt groups while close to 18 per cent had been issued with identity cards allowing them to free access to medical services. "In the present circumstances, I dare say that there is no more affordable alternatives to National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). Whatever our political affiliation may be, we must value the health of our constituents sufficiently to bring them on board the Scheme as soon as possible," he said.
President Kufuor said the fight against HIV/AIDS was succeeding and the prevalence rate was further down to 2.7 from 3.1 per cent.
He also said malaria was being seriously combated by a combination of insecticide treated bed nets, preventive medicine as well as advances in anti-malaria drugs, while 100 per cent coverage for measles immunisation in children had also been achieved nationwide.
He said a fully operational National Accident and Emergency Centre was also coming up at the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, with other strategic benefits in emergency and ambulance services nationwide. The President stated that all these measures were geared towards ensuring quality and emergency health care services in the country.
Source:
GNA
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