By Erica Apeatua Addo, GNA
Bogoso (W/R), Mar 28, GNA -To ensure Ghanaians have access to quality healthcare, the Deputy Director-General, of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Anthony Adofo Ofosu, has appealed to stakeholders in the health sector to adopt the collaboration concept.
He said “no single individual or institution holds the key to addressing the complex healthcare needs of our population, it is through the collective expertise, experience, and the resources of all stakeholders that we can truly make a difference.
So, whether we are clinicians, administrators, researchers, policymakers, politicians, traditional rulers or community leaders, each of us has a role to play in advancing the cause of healthcare”.
Dr Ofosu gave the advice when the Prestea Huni – Valley Municipal Health Directorate, organized its annual health performance review in Bogoso. It was on the theme “Enhancing effective networks of practice to build a resilient healthcare delivery system”.
In recent years, the healthcare landscape had continuously evolved, presenting both challenges and opportunities, from emerging infectious diseases to the increasing burden of non-communicable illnesses, the demands on healthcare systems have never been greater.
He noted that facilities faced unprecedented demands and this constrain was particularly evident in hospitals, where an overwhelming influx of cases, many of which could be effectively managed at the primary care level, adding this affects the quality of care and sometimes leads to undesirable patient outcomes.
“We the GHS through the Network of branches is seeking to link up health facilities in the defined area in a hub and spoke approach that has a well-equipped health center as the hub and the peripheral facilities of chips as the spokes” Dr Ofosu revealed
This, he said, would maximise the use of available resources and ensure greater access to quality healthcare close to the population they served, and also reduce the pressure of patients on district hospitals.
He was hopeful that leveraging on technologies like telemedicine, would help reduce referrals and enable their clients have a better experience in their peripheral facilities, stressing that, to establish these networks they would need the support of all stakeholders in the district.
Mr Timothy Kobina Ofori, Municipal Director of Health Service, on his part said although they encountered some challenges during the year under review, they also achieved a lot of successes.
He said “the directorate used to have only one functional laboratory facility at the Bogoso health center but currently they have six functional laboratories in the municipality. Also, we had one portable scan machine in the health centers excluding the hospitals. Now we can count seven scan machines in our health centers and Community-Based Health Planning Service (CHPS).
The directorate have several infrastructure projects at the completion stage.
For so many years, Samahu which is a big community, has never seen anything like a health center. I can confidently announce that the Samahu health center which started in December is at the roofing stage”.
Mr Ofori added that “Kofikrom and Bondye CHPS is at the lentil stage, staff accommodation quarters at Huni-Valley are 80 per cent complete. All these projects are being constructed by the assembly. An outpatient department at Himan been constructed by Future Global Resources is 95 per cent complete, among others.
An ultra-modern health directorate and the Prestea Government hospital male ward that was destroyed by the rains would be completed soon.
He announced that the Municipal Assembly and the Chiefs of Awudua have given them land to establish Allied Health Institution, and that inspection had already been done, “we are just waiting for the green light to start the programme in September this year. Nana Nteboah Prah IV, has also donated a vast land to start a nursing training school in the Prestea enclave.”
The Municipal Director of Health Service thanked the Assembly, traditional authorities, institutions, and individuals for making positive impact in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipal health sector
Nana Nteboah Prah IV, the Divisional Chief of Himan-Prestea Traditional Area, who chaired the function, said though people have bad experiences when it comes to their healthcare providers, some health personnel were expectational.
He expressed appreciation to all the health personnel in the municipality and encouraged them to continue to exhibit professionalism in their work.
GNA