By Mohammed Balu
Gwollu,(UWR), Dec. 05, GNA – Dr Damien Ponguyire, the Upper West Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has acknowledged the significant strides made in the health sector through the operationalisation of its Network of Practice (NoP).
He said this at Gwollu when the Sissala West District Directorate of the GHS held a durbar with other health sector practitioners to improve health service and the prevention of avoidable deaths.
Dr Punguyire said the effective operationalisation of the NoP in the district would accelerate the achievement of Universal Health Coverage.
He said, “It has also led to the improvement of our health needs” and urged stakeholders to support initiatives such as the NoP.
The rationale of the NoP, he said, was to improve health service, prevent avoidable deaths and alleviate pressure at the bigger facilities to pay attention to emergencies and complex cases.
The NoP is a system in health delivery where both public and private facilities, including community members, pool resources together to ensure continuity in the delivery of health services.
Dr Ponguyire, therefore, entreated all stakeholders and health staff to help improve the quality of health service through improved coordination and sharing of resources.
He appealed to the District Assembly and development partners to help provide infrastructure and refurbish the health facilities with the needed equipment.
Dr Mathias Tengan, the Sissala West District Director of Health Service, said health was a prerequisite for promoting socio-economic activities and growth.
Dr Tengan called on all stakeholders to embrace the network of practice initiative to ensure the provision of uninterrupted healthcare delivery in the district.
He explained that the (NoP) was likened to the hub and spokes model, where all facilities under all sub-districts were supposed to work together by harnessing the resources and expertise to improve health delivery services.
The hub and spokes were presented to the various sub-districts to symbolise the operationalisation of the (NoP) in the Sissala West District.
Dr Tengan enumerated poor referral systems, inadequate transportation systems at various facilities, lack of community support, inadequate staffing and logistics, and poor and dilapidated health structures as some of the barriers to service delivery.
He appealed to stakeholders to come on board to help improve quality service delivery.
Mr Mahmoud Forkah, the Sissala West District Chief Executive said the launch of this new concept would reduce the teething challenges within the health sector.
He said the Assembly would offer this programme the maximum support it deserves as the health needs of the citizens, which were of great concern to the government.
The DCE charged health workers to abide by the code of ethics of the profession and uphold it at all times as well as execute their duty with dignity and respect for all.
The Paramount Chief of the Gwollu traditional area, Kuoro Daniel Bajor Limann V, who chaired the programme, commended the Ghana Health Service for initiating the NoP.
He said there was no doubt that this initiative would lead to the improvement of the quality of health service in the district and called on all stakeholders to support the initiative and make it successful.
Kuoru Bajor Limann appealed to the Regional Health Director to post a Medical Doctor at the Gwollu Hospital.
GNA