Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, the Overlord of Akyem Abuakwa State, has cried out about the lack of health facilities in the Kyebi Hospital.
According to the Okyenhene, over 100 years of its existence, the Kyebi Government Hospital cannot boast a laboratory and also lacks important medical equipment like scanning machines.
He further disclosed that even if labs are done, residents of Kyebi have to pay huge fees in order to access these facilities outside the area.
Speaking at a public event, the Okyenhene expressed his dissatisfaction, saying, “It is painful that when hospital authorities bring issues to you as Okyehene, you have to call and beg somebody in the government before it would be addressed. It is not only that I’m frustrated, but the nurses and doctors are equally frustrated.
“100 years later, there is no scanning machine at the Kyebi Hospital. 100 years later, there is no quality laboratory in the Kyebi Hospital; they send them to Koforidua, somewhere else,” he fumed.
“And even if they have to do the labs, sometimes it costs GH¢4,200 for a patient. How are they going to pay for it?” he quizzed.
Some Ghanaians reacting to the Okyenhene’s remarks stated, “Eiiiii Papa, you that?
I guess you saw what Otumfuo did in the Okomfo Anokye case
There are a lot of Kyebi people, including Ken Ofori Atta and others, to contribute to retool
You see your face today”.
“This reminds me of Nana, former president, telling Aflao chief to complete the uncompleted SHS building when the latter complained about its status”, a netizen added.
A netizen added, “Has Ghana ever had a president from Kyebi, where the chief is talking from, you couldn’t convince him to use the cathedral hole money to equip the hospital in Kyebi”.
In related news, the Okyenhene has outlawed private burials conducted at homes and on personal land.
According to the Okyebhene, the cemetery is the proper burial place, stressing that private burials conducted at homes and on personal land contravene the customs and traditions of his jurisdiction.
The Okyenhene detailed that the increasing use of boreholes in homes makes the practice a health concern.
Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin further detailed that all district assemblies within Akyem Abuakwa will be formally notified.
Also disclosing that chiefs are the custodians of the land, which prevents the assemblies from granting permits for burials in private homes.
In a viral video shared on X, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin stated, “From now on, no one should bury their relatives in private homes. The cemetery is the proper place for burial.
In this modern era, where people even drill boreholes at home for water, burying someone in the house is not appropriate. It goes against Akyeman customary rules to bury relatives at home. Find a way to lay the dead to rest in cemeteries, not in homes”.
Watch the video below: