THE EVOLUTION OF HEALTH CARE IN GHANA, THE CASE OF TEMA, 1945-2008

Abstract

I set out to do this work because from my research there seems to be no comprehensive historical writing on healthcare in Tema. Tema started as a small farming village where the people engaged in the cultivation of gourds used in making calabashes, water bottle and preservation of items. The name Tema is an adulterated version of the Gã name “TORMAN” which literally means “town of gourds.” Overtime a section of the population in Tema embarked on small-scale fishing in the Kpeshie and the Chemu lagoons. As the economy of Tema grew, both the colonial government and private individuals established businesses in the community, and thus the farming activities diminished. By 1957, Tema had shown itself to be a potential industrial enclave and a beacon for Ghana’s social and economic development due to the springing up of different businesses both private and state owned. In the era of social and economic growth the colonial government established healthcare facilities that offered western medical care to the people. Prior to the introduction of western medicine, the people of Tema relied on herbal medicine. However, the outbreak of strange diseases rendered herbal medicine ineffective and therefore the need for western medicine. This paper has established that healthcare was among factors such as the harbour, education, trade and industry that contributed to the development and the transformation of Tema from a small farming community to a metropolis in 2008.