The Kasoa Polyclinic in the Awutu Senya East Municipality continues to operate without a dedicated paediatric ward, despite children accounting for nearly half of all admissions. Health officials warn that this shortfall compromises effective child healthcare and are calling for urgent government intervention.
Serving a fast-growing population of over 300,000, the facility also receives patients from neighboring districts, including Awutu Senya West, Gomoa East, and Ga South, and serves as a major referral point for motor accident victims.
Currently, the Polyclinic has a total bed capacity of 40, distributed across male, female, and maternity wards. Without a separate paediatric ward, children are forced to share space with adults, a situation health professionals describe as both unsafe and inappropriate, undermining best practices in child healthcare.
The Awutu Senya East Municipal Director of Health Services, Dr. Stanley Yaidoo, highlighted that the municipality’s rapid population growth has outpaced health infrastructure. The two main public facilities, the Kasoa Polyclinic and the Mother and Child Hospital, together have fewer than 100 beds, with the latter providing only 10 beds for children.
Traditional leaders have joined calls for urgent government action to ensure safer and more effective healthcare for children in the municipality.
To address the shortage, authorities have begun constructing a 30-bed paediatric unit at the Kasoa Polyclinic. Municipal Chief Executive Seth Sabah Serwonoo Banini told Channel One News that multiple initiatives are underway to improve access to quality healthcare and expand infrastructure to meet the growing demands of the municipality.
