Health workers commemorate Africa Malaria Day

Research had proved that about 32 percent of health workers in Ghana are not aware of the National Anti-malaria Drug Policy, which regulates anti-malaria drugs and their utilisation.

Mr. Charles K. Baah, Head of the Pharmacy Department of the Koforidua Regional Hospital said this at a seminar for health personnel to commemorate Africa Malaria Day at Koforidua on Friday.

Mepha Company Limited, a drug manufacturing company in Koforidua sponsored the seminar.

Mr Baah, has therefore, called for a determined effort to ensure that all health workers in the country got acquainted with the policy and put it into practice to ensure effective clinical cure of the disease.

He called on Hospital Management Teams (HMTs) to conduct frequent auditing of prescriptions and those found to be inconsistent with the National Anti-malaria Drug Policy, should be assisted to conform to the approved national guidelines.

Dr (Mrs) Mira Taylor, a paediatrician of the Koforidua Hospital, who delivered a paper on "Integrated management of childhood illness", cautioned medical practitioners against the use of intra-muscular chloroquine therapy for anaemic and malnourished children suffering from malaria.

She explained that, the absorption of such a large quantity of chloroquine by already weak children could lead to the "poisoning of the blood stream of the child and could lead to death."

Dr (Mrs) Taylor, therefore, recommended that under such conditions, the first dosage of the injections should be given at the hospital under the supervision of the clinician and the child should stay at the health facility for one hour for observation before being allowed to go home.

Dr. Samuel Osei Agyei, a Koforidua-based private medical practitioner, called on drug manufacturing companies to contribute towards public health to support the fight against malaria.

The Eastern Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyirah, who chaired the function, called for the improvement on data collection on malaria effects on child and maternal mortality.

He urged medical practitioners to build a network so that when they received referrals, they could communicate among themselves when necessary and give feedback to their colleagues.