USAID donates boats to improve access to health in WR’s riverside communities

By PK Yankey

Nzulezo (W/R), November 01, GNA- The United States Government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and JSI as implementing partner, has donated two new boats to the Ghana Health Service (GHS). Nzulezo and Jaway -Iskele in the Western Region.

This gesture was to enable GHS to carry out medical support activities in riverine areas as part of measures to improve health outcomes in these communities.

The two first-of-its-kind boats in Nzulezo and Jaway-Wharf, the 12-passenger “Western Princess GHS6” and the 8-passenger “Western Express GHS5”, will improve access to healthcare for approximately 7,500 people in 28 communities. In the Jomoro region.

The boats were designed and manufactured in Ghana, built from reinforced fiberglass and equipped with the necessary storage space for medical supplies.

“Western Princess GHS6” has a toilet, storage cabin and advanced navigation tools and will support an outreach program to Jaway -Wharf riverside communities.

The “Western Express GHS5” has a stretcher to transport patients and will be used to provide care by healthcare workers in Nzulezo, a settlement built on stilts over water and considered a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Mr. Henry Ajewi-Narh Nagai, USAID Continuity of Care Project Chief of Party, disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency during the handover ceremony of the boats to the two communities in Nzulezo.

Mr. Nagai said the boats came at the right time to support health services in riverside communities, which were so poor and underserved because they could now direct pregnant women to areas where they could receive treatment quickly and ferry sick children and anyone else in need. From emergency services to get treatment.

He said the boats were manufactured by a Ghanaian company called Stanco, which has international certification and expertise and is ready to maintain and inspect the boats to make them last longer in use.

Mr. Nagai explained that the boat at Jaway-Wharf is an outboard engine that uses gasoline to quickly power up and cross water and return with seat belts, eco-siren, navigation and satellite lights, among others.

Madam Kimberly Rosen, USAID/Ghana Mission Director, said the United States is proud to partner with GHS to bring health care to remote communities and this is part of their commitment to ensuring quality health care is accessible to all Ghanaians.

He noted that USAID’s donations of boats, motorcycles and vehicles represent more than transportation as they contribute to Ghana’s goal of Universal Health Coverage.

He said the boats would thrive with the provision of medical assistance, vaccinations, maternal and child care, malaria, nutrition and other health services.

The United States remains Ghana’s largest development partner, providing more than $150 million annually and last year nearly half of that amount was used to support health activities in the country, he said.

Madam Rosen said that in February 2024, USAID donated the Health Voyager boat to the Oti region and refurbished another boat for use in the Volta region.

He noted that in the last year alone, USAID has donated more than 300 motorcycles, 20 vehicles, and over a million dollars worth of healthcare equipment to communities in Ghana.

“None of the communities along the lagoons have health facilities and it is almost impossible to reach them by road,” said Jomoro Municipal Health Services Director, Mr. Gabriel Yengliereh.

Mr Yengliereh expressed his happiness that the new boats can now deliver critical healthcare services directly to these remote communities.

GNA