Galaxy Fun Club and the Tema District Citizens Monitoring Committee (DCMC) led by Live Right Ghana has being implementing the people for health (P4H) project from 2016 to 2021.

Members of the DCMC include representatives from Galaxy Fun Club, Tema Metropolitan  Assembly, Tema Metro Health directorate, Tema community health management committees, media, mother to mother support group, persons with disability (PWD), Tema traditional council, persons living with HIV (PLHIV), women groups, assembly members, and representative of Tema chief imam, and representative of pastors.

The P4H project is aimed at promoting equity in health services delivery by strengthening the DCMC capacity to research, sensitize, monitor, and advocate to improve services delivery under 5 thematic areas: Malaria, Nutrition, HIV/AIDS, WASH, and Family Planning, Maternal and Child Health.

Being in the last year of the project, the Tema District Citizens Monitoring Committee (DCMC) found it necessary to hold a review meeting on Tuesday, 20^th April 2021 at Live Right Ghana office to assess the P4H project progress and impact made since 2016.

During the review meeting, Chief Imam Adam Abubakari (DCMC chairman) and Kwame Grundow (focal Person) reiterated to the committee members that the project will be closing in September 2021 with an evaluation exercise. The committee led by Francisca Adzre (Tema Metro Health Directorate HIV coordinator) after a brief discussion on the hindrances caused by the COVID-19 went into assessment of the activities it has been implementing and the successes chalked so far. The team recalled a number of activities it has implemented since 2016 including education of the public and the DCMC sub-groups on HIV/AIDS fact, stigma and discrimination against PLHIV, Tema district dialogue on 0.5% DACF allocation for Malaria, research and Tema district dialogue on 0.5% DACF allocation for HIV/AIDS, education of the public on rights and responsibilities of patients as enshrined in the Ghana health service patients charter, capacity building of the DCMC members on leaders and networking skills, training on budget advocacy, reconstitution and training of Community Health Management Committees on their roles and responsibilities, inputs into Tema metropolitan assembly medium term development plan 2018-2021, radio and communities engagement on NHIS registration, malaria, nutrition, WASH, HIV/AIDS, and family planning, maternal and child health. Since inception, the committee has also been holding monthly meetings to assess itself and plan for improvements.

Successes

After lengthy discussion, the following were listed as some of the successes of the project so far in the tema metropolis;

• The HIV/AIDS committee was able to access the 0.5% DACF for HIV programmes implementation in 2020.
• Relocation of Taxi Drivers from ART entrance at Tema General Hospital ART unit,
• Access to ART unit washroom by clients,
• 2^nd gate opened at the ART unit for clients shy of stigma to use for entry and exit from the unit,
• The Dade Agbo CHMC Repaired a pipe for public use during weighing at U-CHPS Compound,
• The Dade Agbo CHMC sacked Wee smokers behind U-CHPS Compound
• The Dade Agbo CHMC frequently organized clean-up exercises
• The Dade Agbo CHMC has created adolescent corner at kpotame CHPS compound
• The Kwesi Plange CHMC has provided benches, and weighing equipment for kwesi plange CHPS compound
• Kwesi Plange CHPS partitioned for privacy during health visit
• Kwesi Plange Assembly Member paid for 100 children and aged to get NHIS card to freely access healthcare
• Display of the patients’ charter, and GHS code of ethics at tema general hospital ART unit,
• Display of dashboard and contact for healthcare support at health facilities at the P4H communities in Tema: Bankuman, Dade Agbo, Kwesi Plange, Ashiboi, and Lashibi.
• Community Score card administration led to Females’ condoms supplied to the ART unit
• PLHIV built confidence to engaged in radio discussion and disclose status to motivate others whiles sensitizing against stigma and discrimination against persons living with HIV.
• PLHIV have referred more than 50 persons with HIV for treatment
• The DCMC has tested about 200 persons for HIV and referred 8 reactive cases for confirmation and care
• PLHIV has referred and supported one PLHIV child who nearly lost his life to be kept on treatment at tema general hospital.
• With respect to inputs into TMA MTDP, Emergency storm drains were constructed at Community 6, Bankuman, and Adjei kojo in November 2018,
• With respect to inputs into TMA MTDP, Disinfection and Disinfestation were carried out from January to September 2019
• With respect to inputs into TMA MTDP, Prosecution of sanitary offenders were carried out in April 2019.
• With respect to inputs into TMA MTDP, Lifting of refuse containers and District clean-up activities from January to December 2019,
• With respect to inputs into TMA MTDP, Construction of recreational centers is ongoing
• Through the P4H project, the tema FNGO focal person became known to the Assembly which led to his selection in 2020 to join the tema metro HIV/AIDS committee,
• The DCMC observed Tema General Hospital ART unit and followed-up with facts to resolve grievance at between models of hope and a nurse,
• The DCMC applied advocacy skills in analyzing 2021 AAP of TMA
• The DCMC applied advocacy skills in facilitating 3 electoral areas in Ashaiman to identify development issues and prepare their respective medium term development plans for 2022-2025 to be included in the Assembly medium term development plan

Planned activities between April 2021 and June 2021

Before closure, the committee targeted the under-listed activities to be implemented between April and June 2021 in tema.

• Education of the public on the patients charter through whatsapp platform
• Radio discussion on Obonu Fm and Plan B Fm on Malaria
• Radio discussion on Obonu Fm and Plan B Fm on the patients charter
• Education on patients charter on clinic days by Models of Hope
• Radio discussion from analysis of TMA AAP for 2021
• Radio discussion on issues reported on the P4H Dashboard (peopleforhealth.org)
• District dialogue on issues reported on the P4H Dashboard (peopleforhealth.org)
• Advocacy for financial support to expand Tema Manhean ART unit
• Advocacy for support to supply Tema General Hospital ART unit with 50 plastic chairs

As planned, the DCMC is appealing for support to expand the Tema Manhean ART unit which due to its small size do not guarantee PLHIV privacy during clinic days. The folders at the ART unit are also kept on the floor and get wet during rain and therefore do not guarantee access to historical data of clients. The committee can be reached directly through 0542431667.