NGOs expresses concern about lack of midwives in Upper East

The Coalition of NGOs in Health has expressed concern about the lack of midwives in most of the health facilities in the Upper East Region.

This, the body said is hampering the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Mr Alagskomah Asakeya Noble, Vice Chairman of the Coalition, expressed the worry at this year’s 2013 Regional Health Forum organised in Bolgatanga, on the theme: “Improving Quality Healthcare for all- Citizens Rights and Responsibilities. “

He said the situation is even worse in the Community-based Health Planning Services (CHPS) Compounds.

Mr Noble said there is the urgent need for the Municipal and District Assembles {MDAs) to focus on sponsoring of students to study midwifery courses to help address the problem.

Participants at the forum indicated that another major health problem confronting the health sector in the region is lack of medical doctors, and asked the MDAs to consider sponsoring more students from the region to study the course.

Another important issue that emerged at the forum was that most of the CHPS compounds are not disability friendly, and this is making it difficult for persons with disability to access the facilities.

Mrs Josephine Kuom Kukugri, Bolgatanga Municipal Chairperson of Ghana Foundation of the Disabled expressed the need for stakeholders particularly the MDAs to make the CHPS Compounds disability friendly.

Mr Robert Ajene a retired Educationist who delivered a talk on: “Scaling up of CHPS Compounds in the Rural Communities-The Responsibility of the Rural Folk,” underscored the need for community members to provide land and communal labour in the building of the CHPS Compounds in their localities.

Dr Robert Alirigia, the Regional CHPS Co-ordinator, who spoke on:” Policy Direction on Scaling up of Community-based Health Planning Services (CHPS) in the Country – The case of Upper East Region,” said the introduction of the concept in the region and the country as a whole had contributed significantly to health delivery.

He acknowledged the fact that concept is facing some challenges and gave the assurance that the Coalition, Ghana Health Service and other stakeholders are working hard to address the problems.

Dr Alirigia said the programme, which started in the Kassena Nankana District, had spread to all districts in the country.