Shortage of doctors hit Upper West Region

Wa, Aug. 7, GNA - The Upper West Region is experiencing a shortage of doctors to man health facilities and provide quality healthcare service to the people.

By next month only five doctors would be operating in the region and there is the possibility that they would be overwhelmed with the work, with a likelihood of it affecting the provision of the needed quality healthcare services.

Dr. Alexis Nang-Beifubah, Upper West Regional Director of Health Service made this known at the inauguration of a 22 member Upper West Regional Coordinating Council.

He said doctors at the Nandom and Tumu Hospitals who had served for some years now would leave the region for further studies and that the two districts would be without a doctor if a replacement is not found. Dr. Nang-Beifubah said only two doctors were posted to the region last year to join the few others while doctors from Cuba, who are supporting would also go on holidays next month. Dr. Nang-Beifubah appealed to the Upper Regional Coordinating Council and all other influential individuals in the region to help persuade doctors to be posted to the region to help provide quality healthcare service to the people.

He expressed his concern about the huge indebtedness by the National Health Insurance Scheme to service providers, which he said has the potential of freezing activities of healthcare services in the region.

Dr. Nang-Beifubah urged the Regional Coordinating Council to institute an incentive package to attract doctors to the region. Mr Mahmud Khalid, Upper West Regional Minister appealed to the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service to provide the region with doctors and gave the assurance that the Regional Coordinating Council would do all that it takes to make their stay enjoyable. He said the absence of doctors would deny the people the provision of quality healthcare service and that would send them to quack doctors and other unsafe practices leading to many premature deaths.