She said the population of the area has increased but the facility could not perform certain crucial functions to meet the growing needs.

She said the upgrading of the facility would enable them extend their services to meet the demands of the residents and for them to have a firsthand help rather than be referred to other facilities.

Mrs Apetsi made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of a free a free health screening and medication exercise organised by the Health Centre for police and military officers as part of its social responsibility effort. 

The Danfa Health Centre is situated in Danfa, a community of more than 11,000 people in the La-Nkwantanang-Madina Municipality in the Greater Accra Region.

The Health Centre is also accessed by adjoining communities which are Otinibi, Adoteiman, New Adoteiman, Kweiman, Ayi Mensah and Ghana Flag.

She said the clinic handles various cases including malaria, gastroenteritis, upper respiratory tract infection, simple anemia, normal deliveries and conjunctivitis.

The emergency cases the clinic referred, she said, were bleeding in pregnancy, eclampsia, prolonged labour, unconsciousness, premature rupture of membranes and cerebrovascular accident.

She said the absence of an ambulance was hindering effective emergency health care delivery for the people.

The situation, according to Mrs Apetsi, is worrisome since referrals to Dodowa, Pentecost, 37 Military and Ridge Hospitals were always done by taxis and private vehicles of staff which sometimes compounded the patients’ complications.

Mrs Apetsi called on the authorities to, respond to the logistic needs of the centre to help ensure efficient service delivery.

Meanwhile 100 police and military were screened for malaria, blood pressure and sugar levels and were given free medication.

The Danfa Health Centre emerged from the Danfa Comprehensive Rural Health and Family Planning Project which was a service, research and training project designed to help find answers to health problems and to establish realistic methods of delivering effective health and family planning services in rural Ghana.

In 1964, the University of Ghana Medical School decided to train general medical officers to supervise rural health teams. To do this a demonstration district was needed, which was not to be too far from Accra. This was where the department of community health would conduct research, training and service activities.

Subsequently, in 1970 the Danfa District was selected and the Danfa Health Centre was established.