THE STATE OF ESSENTIAL SERVICES IN GHANA NOW.

The Essential Services platform made up of the various coalitions of NGOs in health,Education,Water and Sanitation has announced the current issues on the essential services in Ghana.Speaking at a press conference in Accra, the platform commented on the state of poor water quality in the country.It stated categorically that Aqua Vitens Reands Limited reports of 2008 suggesting that there are still no reagents and in some cases equipments to test for pesticides,lead,mercury and arsenic is of great concern to them.The presence of these heavy metals in water has health implication they said. Adding the delay in replacement of old pipe lines was also a major source of contamination as indecated in their report.They retirated that all these problems only affect the poor in society since they have no option than to use the contaminated water and even those who draw water from wells in the metropolise are in reality drawing water contamined by faecal matter and parthenoginic organism.In reaction to the low level of water production in the country,the platform said the production of water has reduced by 15% according to World bank report.This is not a good sign for a country which has privatised its water management services.Aqua Vitens repoted that all was not well at the Kpone pumping station , only three pumps were available,the motor of the fourth burnt twice and had been out of service for more than three years.The electric motors of the remaining three pumps experienced oil seal problems which can cause fire in the motor and are subject to more routine works.The platform said, Weija also have similar problem,production at Weija have been reduced to approtimately 7%.Non revenue water is still as high as 49.7% just a marginal change from the 51% in 2005 when AVRL took over management from Ghana Water Company Limited.Some other problems the platform identified included, Importation of second hand water meters by AVRL,poor disbursment of water,non collection of waste,poor or no toilet facilities and cholera outbreak. Others include poor management of health issues and education. Inviews of these problems in the country the platform is demanding that, wholesome water must been supplied to all cholera endermic areas in the country,AVRL contract must be abrogated as stated categorically by president mills during the presidential debate before the 2008 elections,government must increase its investment in the essential services and recognise it as public good and the GHC5.00 paid monthly by the PLAs to acquire the ARVs must be accounted for. some other demands by the platform are provision of more social amenities,GHS should incorporate the traditional birth attendants into their training programmes and give their own professionals more skills and government should empower community based CSOs to engage health workers to be accountable to improve services and should have CSOs involved to augment and assist the ever dwindling number of health workers among others.

BY:michael Amedor