Threat of polio and guinea worm cases from Neighbouring countries

Bolgatanga, Aug. 12, GNA - Dr John Koku Awoonor-Williams, Upper East Regional Director of Health Service has said a time Ghana is at the verge of attaining guineaworm-free certification the Region is being threatened by reported polio cases from Cote d’Ivoire and guineaworm cases from Mali.

The Regional Director who made this observation during the Regional Health Sector Half-Year Performance Review Meeting gave the assurance that pragmatic measures were being put in place to deal with the problem.


He entreated health staff, especially the District Directors, to redouble their efforts to prevent a possible spread of the diseases into the Region and the country as a whole.


He said the outbreak of meningitis which was commonly recorded in Bongo and the Kassena-Nankana Districts, that share common boundaries with neighbouring countries, should not be taken for granted.


”With the numbers being recorded in our niegbouring regions it is time we sit up and re-strategise our control and elimination efforts. I am encouraged by our surveillance system that is picking up these cases”, Dr Awoonor-Williams indicated.


On human resource development, the Regional Director stated that through its health attraction and retention initiatives, the total number of Doctors from the Regional Hospital increased from three as of June 2010 to 10 by June 2011.


“With a combination of what one may describe as stick and carrot measures, we also retained more newly qualified registered general nurses to serve the Region and reduced the numbers of midwives, nurses and other health professionals seeking transfer to more endowed southern Regions. The Region currently has the highest nurse population ratio in the entire country thanks to prudent and practical measures pursued by the Directorate.”

He indicated that the sub-districts had also been strengthened with health delivery capacity, attached with midwives, Community Health Officers (CHOs) as well as laboratory assistants and qualified accounting personnel.


The Regional Director stated that staff capacity had also been developed with 110 CHOs receiving practical training on the CHPS concept, while more of the staff were also undergoing graduate and postgraduate certificate courses.


He indicated that the Regional Health Directorate had sent healthcare to the doorsteps of deprived community through the community based health service Planning and Service implementation programme and said these facilities had been well staffed with health professionals.


The Regional Director said solar lumps had also been provided to communities where there was no electricity supply as a way of motivating the health workers to stay in the communities and administer health care.


He said the Region had also achieved 33.39 per cent of supervised delivery, adding that this would remain the highest in the Region for some time.


The Regional Director stated that the Upper East had achieved improved scores registering 48.8 per cent in antenatal, 40.5 per cent in post natal and 16.7 per cent in family planning coverage.