Description:
The Garu Presbyterian Health Centre is located in the heart of Garu Township, capital of the Garu-Tempane district of the Upper East Region of Ghana. Garu is as well the sub-district capital of the Garu sub-district. It shares common borders with the Woriyanga sub-district to the East, Songo sub-district to the West, Bugri sub-district and Bawku Municipal to the North and to the South it borders with the Worikambo sub-district. Being cosmopolitan in nature, it is habited mainly by ethnic groups such as the Kusasis being the mojority, Bimobas, Moshis and Bisas. Other minor ethnic groupings are the Hausas, Fulanis and Yorubas. Garu Health Centre is a service providing facility was established and managed by the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) through the Presbyterian Health Service-North (PHS-N). It is one of the health facilities under the coordination of the Presbyterian Primary Health Care (PPHC), Bawku. Garu Health Centre was established and officially opened in 1975. The health centre currently serves as a referral centre for other health facilities and therefore acts as a referral point. The health centre serves a catchment population of about 16,828 as well as those of the surrounding sub-districts such as Songo, Bugri, Woriyanga, Worikambo and people from nearby communities of other districts including Binduri, Bawku Municipal and neighbouring districts from the Northern Region. The facility provides a wide range of services including the following: 1) General OPD 2) Basic eye care 3) Community psychiatry 4) Laboratory investigations 5) Voluntary counseling and testing for HIV for the 6) Reproductive and child health – antenatal including PMTCT, delivery, postnatal, immunization and family planning 7) 24 hour detention of seriously ill patients for observation 8) 24 hour ambulance service 9) Referral of patients 10) Health education and promotion 11) Tuberculosis screening and treatment
Recent Accomplishments:
Community information center supported by ACDEP
A standby generator by government of Ghana
OPD clinic for eye unit
Good collaboration with traditional birth attendants, traditional medicine practitioners and community health volunteers through the use of mobile phone technology with support from ACDEP.
Quote:
“Heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them the kingdom of God is come nigh to you” (Luke 10:9)
Objectives:
Improve Maternal and Child Health Care
Control the incidence of Malaria, HIV/AIDS STI/TB transmission and other communicable diseases
To increase access to Clinical Care and other Public Health Interventions
To improve quality of care in Health Facilities
To improve Financial and Human Resource Mobilization
To improve efficiency at all levels of service delivery
To improve Collaboration and Networking
Partner Activities:
Holland friends of Bawku (building of part of facility and provision of some equipment)
ACDEP: (ICT, provision of computers, and supporting adolescent health programme, Traditional Medicine Practitioners (TMPs) and Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs)
Ghana Health Service (GHS) – Provision of staff for preventive services (e.g. Community Health Nurses, Disease Control Officers and Health Information Officers, etc), logistics and equipment.
World Vision – Support for in-service training, organization of durbars and supervision.
