Hafiz Timbile Adams
The Overlord of the Waala Traditional Area, Naa Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo IV, has made a passionate appeal to President John Dramani Mahama to see to the upgrading of the Upper West Regional Hospital to a Teaching Hospital.
According to the Wa Naa, the move will enable the training of medical doctors in the region, which will go a long way to improving the doctor-patient ratio in the area.
Speaking through his Secretary, Jinpenhi Naa Ibrahim Kadir, the Overlord noted that the low doctor-to-patient ratio in the region deserves serious attention in order to help address the health needs of the peole. He opined that doctors trained in region are more likely to accept posting to work in the region unlike others trained somewhere.
The Wa Naa through his Secretary also acknowledged the president’s effort in ensuring that the health of the people is catered for, noting that almost every community in his traditional area has a CHPS compound. He also lauded the resumption of work on some abandoned hospital projects and the initiation of new ones in the region.
The President of the Wala Traditional Council made this appeal while welcoming President Mahama to the launch of the Sheapark Resource Hub at the Palace.
The Wa Naa also reminded the president of the deplorable roads in the region, urging him to expedite action in that regard. He particularly indicated that the dualisation of the UBIDS to Police Roundabout road and the reconstruction of the road linking the Upper West region to the Savannah region must be prioritised to avoid delays.
The president in November 2025 cut sod for the reconstruction and expansion of some major roads in the region, including the Wa-Han-Tumu road, UBIDS to police roundabout road, and others.
Touching on agriculture, Naa Pelpuo IV expressed deep concern on the plight of farmers in the region.
He noted that while farmers recorded good yield in the 2025 farming season, which led to lower food prices, the high cost of farm inputs means that farmers are recording losses on their investment. This is due to the comparative high cost incurred in generating the yield.
The Overlord therefore appealed to the president and his government to put in measures that will reduce the cost of farm inputs like fertiliser and pesticides ahead of the next farming season. This, he said, if done, will alleviate the struggles farmers are going through due to the relative lower prices for their farm produce.
