The Kasoa Polyclinic in the Awutu Senya East Municipality is struggling to meet the needs of children who make up almost half of its admissions, largely because the facility still operates without a paediatric ward.
Health officials say the situation puts young patients at risk and limits the quality of care they can receive. The clinic serves a rapidly growing population of more than 300,000 people and also receives referrals from Awutu Senya West, Gomoa East and Ga South. It is a key emergency point for victims of road accidents in the area.
Despite this pressure, the Polyclinic has only 40 beds shared across male, female and maternity wards. With no dedicated space for children, paediatric patients are placed in the same wards as adults, a practice health workers say is unsafe and goes against standard paediatric care.
Awutu Senya East Municipal Health Director, Dr Stanley Yaidoo, explained that the area’s rising population has outpaced existing health infrastructure. The municipality’s two main public facilities—the Kasoa Polyclinic and the Mother and Child Hospital—have fewer than 100 beds combined. While the Polyclinic has no paediatric ward at all, the Mother and Child Hospital has only 10 beds for children.
Traditional leaders have joined calls for the government to step in and help improve child healthcare in the municipality.
In response, construction has begun on a 30-bed paediatric unit at the Kasoa Polyclinic. The Municipal Chief Executive, Seth Sabah Serwonoo Banini, told Channel One News that more interventions are being rolled out to expand health infrastructure and improve access to quality care as demand continues to rise.
Story by Doe Benjamin Kofi Lawson