Mettle-Nunoo warns health professionals not to serve 'two masters'

Accra, July 7, GNA - Mr Joseph Rojo Mettle-Nunoo, Deputy Minister of Health, on Wednesday asked public health professionals who owned private hospitals and clinics with diagnostic equipments, to resign and concentrate fully on their various institutions.

He said this would provide an avenue for health professional prepared to contribute their quota towards national development to take better care of equipment in public health institutions for effective and efficient health care delivery.

"For the nation to develop it required dedicated and committed people to manage affairs of its institutions and one person cannot serve two masters and work efficiently and effectively," Mr Mettle-Nunoo added.

Mr Mettle-Nunoo gave the advice during the presentation of health equipment worth GH¢250,000 to six health institutions in the Accra Metropolis to improve health care delivery.

The beneficiaries included, La General Hospital, Mamobi Polyclinic, Ussher Fort Polyclinic, Castle Polyclinic, Kaneshie Polyclinic and Princess Marie Louise Hospital.

The equipment were theatre tables, hospital beds, colpuscopes, oxygen concentrators, wheel chairs, nebulisers, glucometers, disposable gowns, BP monitors, drapes, syringes laryngoscopes, plasters, surgical instruments, bandages, ophthalmoscopes and horoscopes.

They were presented by Dr Ernestina Naadu Mills, First Lady in fulfillment of a campaign pledge during Election 2008.

Mr Mettle-Nunoo noted that most of those health professionals did not have much time for patients in public health institutions and sometimes directed patients to their private hospitals and clinics "where some of them have diverted equipment from public health institutions."

He urged health professionals involved in such acts to refrain from them and show dedication and patriotism in their chosen profession.

The Deputy Health Minister observed that most public health institutions were not performing as much as expected because some health professionals had the penchant of pilfering drugs and equipment donated by philanthropists and development partners to curb the rampant deaths in the country to their established institutions to the detriment of public health institutions.

He called for more training of health personnel to operate the equipment and gave the assurance that the equipment discarded would be rehabilitated and sent to hospitals and clinics in deprived communities.

Dr Juliana Ameh, Specialist Paediatrician, La General Hospital, who received the equipment on behalf of the beneficiary institutions, expressed appreciation to the First Lady for the kind gesture.

She said some of the equipment arrived at the appropriate time and pledged they would be well utilised and maintained to prolong their life span.