The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante has performed a sod-cutting ceremony for the construction of a doctor’s bungalow for the Assin Praso Presbyterian Health Centre in the Assin North District of the Central Region.

The construction of the residence has become necessary to provide a desirable accommodation environment in order to employ the services of a medical doctor to raise high health standards at the health centre and also improve quality medical care for the people. Currently, Physician Assistant is in charge of the health facility.

The Assin Praso Presbyterian Health Centre is a moderately sized health facility which serves a large, mainly farming, population (about 100,000 people) in its catchment area.

It was established by the Presbyterian Church of Ghana in 1987 to provide health care to the people around the area.

The sod-cutting ceremony was attended by the Moderator, Rt. Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, the West Akyem Presbytery Chairperson of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rev Dr. Benzies Adu-Okoree, the District Chief Executive for Assin North District Assembly, Mr Nicholas Ohene Andoh, Nananom from both Assin Praso and Assin Asempanaye, the Clergy, Opinion Leaders, Church members among others.

Speaking at the short but impressive ceremony, the Rt. Rev Prof. Mante said the Presbyterian Church of Ghana for the past one hundred and ninety-one (191) years in its quest to be Christ-Centred, Self-Sustaining and a Growing Church, had used a three-prong approach in its mission work – namely Preaching, Teaching and Healing.

 This approach he said, had been fashioned after the patterns of Jesus Christ as stated in Mathew 9:35.

The Moderator emphasized that in a typical Presbyterian enclave in any city, town or village, one would see a Chapel and school and then, in some of the places a healthcare facility. The teaching and preaching of the good news are supposed to bring healing to the sick.

He said the Presbyterian Church of Ghana will continue to provide quality healthcare delivery to the people of Ghana to ensure and promote comprehensive development of the wellbeing of the people.

The District Chief Executive for Assin North, Mr. Nicolas Ohene Andoh lauded the Presbyterian Church of Ghana for playing major roles in various sectors of the economy, especially in the area of health to help develop the country.

He pledged that the District Assembly would support the project to be completed on time. He made a personal contribution of 50 bags of cement to support the construction.

The Physician Assistant in Charge of the Health Centre, Mr Noah Tetteh expressed his appreciation to the Presbyterian Church of Ghana for the support given to the facility.

He said the health centre was working hard to improve on the working conditions of its workers and that the construction of the bungalow was a manifestation of that drive.

He said having been operating under the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), the health centre is one of the biggest facilities in the area with an average Out-Patient Department (OPD) attendance of 35,000, and therefore it would need to provide a decent living environment for its staff. Mr Tetteh mentioned that the project is estimated to cost GH¢420, 000.

The Moderator earlier fellowshipped with the local Congregation at Assin Praso.

He made a personal contribution of one hundred (100) bags of cement to support the project.