Nadowli, Aug. 25, GNA - President Jerry Rawlings on Wednesday commissioned a 128-million-cedi operating theatre at the Nadowli Urban Health Centre and said the government was in the process of providing all district hospitals in the region with one theatre each.
He said those for Wa, Tumu and Nandom were in place while the one at Lawra would be completed soon. The President is on a three-day visit to inspect development projects in the Upper West Region.
He said hitherto, minor operations that could be handled at Nadowli were either transferred to Jirapa or Wa. "By providing operating theatres at the various health centres, quality health care has been enhanced in the region."
The President added that it is the intention of government to continue to provide facilities for health institutions in the Upper West Region. On roads in the region, he said eight kilometres of town roads are to be tarred at Wa, Jirapa and Lawra.
Work in Jirapa has started with the construction of drains and contract has been awarded for the tarring of the Wa-Nadowli-Jirapa section of the Wa-Hamile road. The next phase would cover the Jirapa-Nandom-Hamile portion.
The President said the Jirapa-Babile road has been awarded on contract and work would start soon. Mr David Osei-Wusu, Upper West Regional Minister, said it was regrettable that although a lot of doctors come from the region, the majority of them were not prepared to work there.
He, therefore, suggested a scheme under which such doctors could come to the region, work for a few weeks and go back to their stations in the cities.
Dr Francis Banka, Upper West Regional Director of Health Services, said the region has seen improvement in the provision of primary health care services in the last six years.
He said about 76 per cent of the population lives within eight kilometres of health facilities while primary health care has been brought to the doorsteps of about 95 per cent of the population.
Dr Banka said the region is poorly provided for as far as doctors and technical staff were concerned adding that the region has only one doctor in each of the four hospitals.
"The Upper West Region is unattractive for Ghanaian doctors, who can make extra income honestly in the south by working during their free time."
Dr Banka said missionary doctors are no longer coming to the region and called for a special action to attract and retain young doctors and other technical staff there.
