Nkwanta (O/R), March 10, GNA – Dr Osei Kufour Afreh, Oti Regional Director of Health Services, says lack of a secondary level referral facility in the Region is affecting healthcare delivery.
He said such a facility could have been a game changer in their performance as that, “huge burden is currently being born by the Worawora Government Hospital.”
Dr Afreh disclosed this at the 2021 Annual Performance Review meeting at Nkwanta in the Nkwanta South Municipality of the Oti Region under the theme: “Improving Health Service Provision in the midst of a Pandemic.”
He said presently, clients who required secondary level healthcare were either referred to facilities in the Volta Region or the Northern Region, which sometimes resulted in loss of life due to long distances covered.
The Regional Director said even the Worawora Government Hospital, which now served as Oti Regional Hospital had seen very little or no infrastructure and equipment development over many years since its inception in 1951.
Dr Afreh said as a strategy to improve health service, they had brought everyone on board to champion that trajectory.
He said though they had many challenges as new and deprived region, they would interact with their stakeholders while introducing some new ones such as PATH Ghana and Zipline to complement their efforts.
The Regional Director stated that in 2020, a peer-review assessment of their performance using the Holistic Assessment Tool scored them as a moderately performing region, which they saw as a good commencement, but the 2021 period assessment placed them as a highly performing region.
He said they chalked this success as a result of dedication, commitment and endurance.
On surveillance, he said, the regional surveillance team suspected 36 Acute Flaccid Parasis cases and none was positive, 81 suspected measles cases investigated with none positive, 39 yellow fever cases suspected with 2 being positive.
On COVID-19, he said in 2021, the Region suspected and tested 3,032 persons out of which 668, representing 22.0 per cent tested positive with five deaths giving a case fatality of 0.7 per cent whiles 663, representing 99.3 per cent recovered, that of attack was rate at 85.8 per 100,000 population.
He said cumulatively, a total of 912 positive cases have been recorded in the Region since the outbreak in 2020 with 9 deaths.
Regarding COVID-19 Vaccination, Dr Afreh said only 14.5 per cent of their eligible population were fully vaccinated while 29.7 per cent have received at least first dose.
He said the low acceptance rate was due to myths and misconceptions about the vaccines.
Dr Afreh stated that they were, however, working with their partners and stakeholders to improve social mobilization activities to improve its uptake.
Mr Selasi Dzormeku, GHS Council Member advised the health workers to accept posting to deprived areas to enhance good quality health delivery; adding, challenges should not deter them from delivering.
Mr Dzormeku admonished them to help improve public image of the service by removing poor client care and bad perception about their work and attitude towards clients.
The Biakoye District was adjudged the Overall Best Performing District for 2021 followed by Krachi-West District with Krachi-East Municipality placing third position.
Equally, the Jasikan District Hospital was adjudged Best Performing Hospital for 2021 and followed by St. Joseph Hospital at Nkwanta. They were presented with Plaques and Books.
GNA