Source: Hafiz Timbile
In a strong call for renewed compassion, the Member of Parliament for Wa West, Peter Lanchene Toobu, has urged residents of Ga and surrounding communities to prioritise caring for the sick while they are alive rather than showing love only after death.
He emphasised that regular visits, attention, and emotional support play a vital role in the recovery of patients, describing it as a misplaced priority for families to spend lavishly on funerals for individuals who were neglected during illness.
According to him, many people will not visit and show compassion to their sick friends and relatives, but will rather want to spend and celebrate more when the person passes on. He described the attitude as backward, urging residents to be each other’s keeper.
The MP also admonished community members to desist from spending so many days at funerals at the neglect of their families.
He said some parents can spend two weeks or more at a funeral away from their homes, leaving their children to fend for themselves. For him, it is a bad habit to leave one’s children at home just to go and celebrate a funeral for two weeks.
Mr. Toobu believes such delinquent actions by parents have the tendency of making their children to fall into social vices like smoking, drug abuse, and stealing. He, therefore, urged community members, particularly parents, to reduce the number of days they spend at funerals.
The MP made these remarks on Tuesday, April 15, 2026, during the official commissioning of a newly constructed nurses’ quarters at the Ga Health Centre – an initiative aimed at improving accommodation for health workers and strengthening emergency healthcare delivery in the area.
The two-room accommodation initiated by the Ga community received both cash and logistical support from the MP, which are estimated at over forty thousand Ghana cedis (GHC 40,000.00).
During the event, community members and health professionals highlighted ongoing challenges facing the facility, particularly the lack of essential medical equipment.
In response, Hon. Toobu pledged immediate support, providing an amount of money for the supply of critical items including glucometers (2), gun thermometers (2), blood pressure monitors (2), weighing scales (2) for both adults and infants, as well as electric fans (3) for the medical wards before leaving the community.
He noted that the intervention forms part of his broader commitment to improving healthcare services in the district, especially in underserved areas. He said the other concerns affecting healthcare delivery in the Ga Health Centre will be addressed in due course.
The MP also commended the people of Ga for their unity and collective efforts in supporting development initiatives, noting that such community spirit is key to sustainable progress.
The combined impact of the new nurses’ accommodation and the medical supplies provided by the MP is expected to significantly enhance healthcare delivery at the Ga Health Centre and the sub-district as a whole, offering renewed hope to residents who depend on the facility.
