The St. John of God Clinic, Oseikojorom, has been operating without water supply and toilet facility since its inception.
The facility is located 15km from Esam, the district capital in the Bia West District of the Western Region. It shares a border with Ivory Coast thereby serving people beyond its catchment area including Nyiable town, across the border.
It started as an outreach post for the St. John of God Brothers who used to organize medical teams to provide service to the communities in that jurisdiction in the early 1990’s. They embarked on the outreach two times in a month and provided mainly ante natal services. Subsequently, the medical outreach team was organized to provide the service on rotation basis thus the structure becoming a permanent service center.
It is currently manned by a Staff nurse, Midwife, an Enrolled Nurse and a Healthcare Assistant. Complicated cases are referred to the Esam Government Hospital.
According to the staff, the unavailability of water source and toilet facility for both client and staff use, poses a serious health threat since it contributes to high rate of infections.
They have been using water collected from a self -dug up well on the premises, after boiling it. Clients have to defecate in surrounding bushes, a situation resulting in a heavy stench at the facility.
According to the Focal Person for Health of the Sefwi Wiawso Diocese, Mr. Monarch Aduhene, his outfit had on numerous occasions submitted a request to the District Assembly to help connect water to the facility but to no avail.