Amanase ‘Villagers’ resort to prayers to deal with health problems
The community members usually engage in this act in the night because of the uneasy access to the only health centre in the area, which is located at Wiamoase.
Residents complained that they could not carry their sick relatives to the only nearby health facility at Wiamoase, which is five kilometres away as a result of the difficulty to get transport to the health centre.
Interviews conducted with some residents at Amanase revealed the serious challenges confronting the people, which continue to put their lives under threat.
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Commercial vehicles do not operate in the night in the area because drivers have constantly complained about the poor nature of the road.
In the event of sudden sickness, the only person they consult for intervention is the local Presbyterian minister.
The Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA) has the only health centre at Wiamoase, which serves more than 8, 000 people in and around the community.
Confirming the development, Rev. Yemetey told The Mirror that the quite a sizeable number of people come to him in the night with various health problems for prayers when they cannot get vehicle to transport them to the health facility at Wiamoase.
However, he said, he usually advised them to seek medical attention at the health centre since most of the cases brought before him could not be dealt with spiritually in isolation of seeking proper medical attention.
“Sometimes, my wife who is a student nurse offers some assistance when she is on vacation,” he added.
“I’ve also identified some health personnel who come around to see how best they can help take fear out of the people concerning their health problems,” he said.
The reverend minister said much as prayer was important in curing various forms of sicknesses, it was equally important that “we don’t downplay the importance of people trained to treat people.”
The Chief of Amanase, Nana Bediako Poku, confirmed the challenges facing the people as a result of the deplorable state of road.
“Unless the authorities come to our aid to solve this problem for us, something very serious could happen one day,” he said.
Amanase and its surrounding communities have a population of about 4,000, with most of them being subsistence farmers.
Nana Poku said the community would support any effort that would change the situation for the better.
