Nurses urged to help reduce cost of health care

Mrs Evelyn Owusu-Achaw, Eastern Regional Chief Nursing Officer, has urged nurses and midwives to improve upon their health care delivery, to help reduce the cost of health care to individuals, families and the country as a whole.

She explained that one of the causes of inefficiency in the health care delivery system was medical errors and poor quality of care, which could lead to infection and the development of pressure sores by a patient.

The Chief Nursing Officer said, such conditions could lead to a prolonged stay of a patient in hospital, long term disability, financial burden for the health system, high cost of health care to the patient and the family, and in the extreme case lead to death.

Mrs Owusu-Achaw was speaking at the formal opening of this year’s launch of the Nurses Week celebration in the Eastern Region in Koforidua.

The theme for the celebration is: “Nurses and Midwives: A Force For Change; Care Effective, Cost Effective”.

She urged nurses and midwives to adhere to infection prevention procedures, improve professional standards in health facilities, and undertake clinical audit and implement decisions taken to be able to provide quality care at low cost.

Dr Kweku Owusu-Acheampong, New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive who was the guest of honour of the programme, urged nurses and midwives to come out with innovative methods to help reduce the cost of health care delivery in the country.

He urged the Nurses and Midwives Council to come out with a structure to provide a platform for nurses and midwives to participate in decision-making, and the implementation of policies that affected health delivery system.

Dr Owusu-Acheampong urged nurses and midwives professional associations to support their members to develop their capacities, to engage in research, and come out with cost-effective ways of provision of high quality health care, and to demonstrate it in their work.

Earlier in a welcoming address, the Regional Chairman of the Nurses and Midwives Association, Mr David Tinkorang Twum, urged government to reconsider the decision to withdraw the allowances paid to nurse-trainees.

He explained that many of the people who joined the nursing and midwifery profession came from poor background and the withdrawal of the allowances would deny many such people the opportunity to join the profession.

The chairperson for the programme, Mrs Patricia Arku Adika, urged nurses and midwives to publicize their research findings for adoption by the Ghana Health Services for the development of the country's health system.