District health directorate holds seminar

Winneba, Dec. 21, GNA - The Central Regional Deputy Director of the Nursing Service, Mrs. Bertha Boakye-Agyemang, has called for attitudinal change among health workers to ensure quality health delivery in the country.

She said if doctors, nurses, and paramedical workers in the hospitals, and clinics show love, commitment and dedication towards their work, most of the deaths that occur in the various health institutions could be avoided.

Mrs Boakye-Agyemang said this at a day's seminar organized by the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Directorate of the Health Services, on "Dissemination of quality Improvement Interventions" at the Community Health Nurses Training School on Thursday.

The seminar, attended by representatives from the twelve districts in the Central Region, was designed to sell out the new ideas, policies and innovations, which have helped reduce the high maternal mortality rate in the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District.

In the year 2000 the district recorded the highest maternal mortality rate in the country, resulting in the launch of the national "Safe Motherhood" campaign in Winneba early this year.

However, with the effective adoption of the new policies, innovations and interventions, the situation has drastically reduced from seven percent to 2.8 percent as at now.

Mrs Boakye-Agyemang deplored the unprofessional attitude of some doctors, who refuse the calls of nurses to attend to patients during emergency cases, but return to the wards the following day only to sign the death certificates of the unfortunate patients. She expressed the hope that with the creation of the new health service, such behaviour would change to carve a good image for the health service.

Dr. Nii Adjei Adjetey, District Director of the Health Services for Awutu-Effutu-Senya, said between January and December this year, the Out-Patient Department (OPD) of the Winneba Government Hospital has recorded 26,000 patients as against 18,000 registered during the same period in 2000.

Dr Adjetey attributed this to intensive education conducted in the various towns and villages by members of the hospital's outreach team to enlighten the people on the need to report all their health problems to government hospital and clinics for proper diagnose and treatment.

Dr. H.O. France, Medical Superintendent of the Winneba Government Hospital, Mrs Bernadette Pufaa, Ms Sophia Blankson, and Mrs Nancy Ekyem, all Senior Nursing Officers of the hospital, presented papers at the seminar, chaired by Mrs Sharlotte Ennimful, Principal of the Winneba Community Health Nurses Training School.