TAMALE TEACHING HOSPITAL GETS STANDBY GENERATOR ....(Page 26)

Story: Vincent Adedze, Tamale

THE frustrations and several disappointments that some public spirited organisations in the Tamale Metropolis went through in mobilising resources to procure a stand-by generator for the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) has now paid off.
At least for now, members of the Concerned Citizens Association of Tamale (CCAT), a pressure group, and the Youth Empowerment Centre, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), can now heave a sigh of relief for being able to procure a new 19 horsepower Honda generator at the cost of GH¢1,500 to facilitate effective health care delivery at the TTH.
The establishment of the GH¢500,000 fund by the groups for the procurement of stand-by generators and other hospital equipment to ensure effective health care delivery at the TTH encountered many difficulties.
All the 18 district assemblies and the Northern Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) that pledged to contribute a total amount of GH¢46,000 for instance, allegedly failed to deliver on their promises.
The fund was inaugurated last year with all the funfair, including promises that go with such functions and eventually, GH¢50,000 was mobilised as seed money in pledges and in cash.
However, the pledges that formed the bulk of the seed money needed for the fund were not honoured.
The CCAT and its partners were able to mobilise only GH¢2,000.
Speaking at a ceremony at which the plant was presented to the hospital’s authorities, the President of the CCAT, Mr Basharu Daballi, expressed regret that the association and its partners decided to procure the generator with the little resources available due to the current bank charges on the GH¢2,000 so far mobilised.
“Unfortunately the pledges were not forthcoming and it is only the Member of Parliament for Tamale North, Alhaji Abukari Sumani, who honoured his pledge among the three parliamentarians in Tamale by paying his GH¢1000,” the president further pointed out.
He, therefore, appealed to residents and the RCC to honour their pledges. Mr Daballi thanked those who had so far contributed towards the fund.
According to him, a four-member committee had been set up to help manage the fund to promote accountability.
The Regent of Tamale, Richard Alhassan Iddrisu, expressed concern about the lukewarm attitude of some individuals towards such laudable initiatives by the CCAT and its partners.
The District Director of Nursing Services, Madam Elizabeth Yayah, who recieved the generator on behalf of the hospital thanked the CCAT for the gesture, and appealed to other public spirited organisations and residents to contribute to the fund.