By Alex Baah Boadi,
Sefwi-Bodi (WN/R), April 8, GNA – Dr Godfred Kwabena Sarpong, the Western North Regional Director of health services, has expressed worry about the absence of specialized medical personnel in the region.
He said for instance, the region did not have specialists in Pediatrics, eye care services, skin care, ENT, radiology and rehabilitative among others and appealed to the Ghana Health Services to post specialist medical personnel to the region.
The Regional Director, who made this known at the 2023 Annual Regional Performance Review Meeting at Sefwi-Bodi, encouraged medical officers and nurses to take up relevant specialist training in these fields so as to improve upon health care delivery in the region.
The two-day Annual Review which was under the theme “Achieving Universal Health Coverage through the Networks of Practice: The Role of Stakeholders”, brought together.
Municipal and district health directors, Health partners (WHO, USAID, JSI/UNICEF) and major stakeholders to brainstorm on the success chalked in the year under review and the way forward.
Dr Kwabena Sarpong indicated that the health Directorate had instituted a ‘network – practice approach’ to strengthen sub-district health systems and also bring together all the health centers, CHPS zones, maternity homes and related private facilities to build a solid administrative and clinical management model for the region.
The Clinical Management model, according to him, primarily sought to deliver essential packages of quality public health and clinical services that meet the needs of individuals, families and communities in defined geographical areas.
He explained that 18 health centers from the Nine districts within the Region were set to commence the initiative and that they have established Regional and District implementation committees and have also started stakeholder engagements at the community, sub district and regional levels for smooth take off of the programme.
Dr Kwabena Sarpong lauded the staff and major stakeholders for their commitment to their duties and urged them to work harder to bring quality health care to the door steps of their clients.
The Regional health Director announced that the Wiawso government hospital emerged as the 2nd Best Hospital in Ghana in the use of the Ghana Integrated Logistics Management System platform for their supply chain efforts.
Dr Kwabena Sarpong, said the region continued to receive significant support from the Ghana Health Service and mentioned that three new hospitals were at various stages of completion under the agenda 111 project in the region.
He said the construction of a Regional Cold Room at Bodi and a Neonatal intensive care unit at Wiawso were also on going.
He, however, expressed concern about the region’s continued dependance on the Western Region for the supply of medicines and non-medical consumables and that the situation was impacting negatively on the health commodity supply chain system and affecting the efficient and timely supply of these commodities to health facilities.
He lauded the region’s improved disease surveillance and capacity building efforts, which contributed to the region not recording any significant outbreak of diseases.
GNA