Violent Conflict Scares Doctors From Northen Region

The recurrence of violent conflicts in the northern part of the country is one the major factors that discourages doctors and other health workers from accepting postings to the area, says Doctor Elias Sory, Northern regional director of health.

Dr. Sory, who was posted to the region from the Central region, a few weeks ago, observed, "I must say emphatically that a contributory factor to staff refusing postings to the northern sector is the violent conflicts we experience in this part of the country.


"I have just moved up from the south, I get staff that talk about the good old days in Tamale, Bolgatanga and Wa. But they will not want to come back neither will they encourage others to come up. Even those from here do not want to come back."


Dr. Sory said even though the health authorities are aware that the conflicts do not target health workers, it is difficult to convince them to go up north.


Dr. Sory was speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of the regional and district health committees in Tamale at the weekend.


He attributed the shortage of doctors and health workers in the region, partly to the reluctance of staff to accept postings to the area and noted that - but for the services of the Cuban Medical Brigade - most of the district hospitals would have been without doctors.

"You just take away a principal nursing officer in one hospital and you are left with auxiliary staff to take care of the seriously ill patients. How do we give quality health care?" he asked.


Dr. Sory said currently, his outfit is using its allocation of the Poverty Alleviation Fund to train health and laboratory assistants for the hospitals because it cannot attract the required number of professional staff to the region.


He wondered how the University for Development Studies, headquartered in Tamale, could ever claim to have a medical school when major facilities in the hospitals in the region are being manned by nurses instead of doctors, dentists and ear, nose and throat specialists.


He said one of his outfit's greatest strength is the community-based volunteer system it has put in place.


He commended the volunteers for the invaluable assistance in fighting diseases of epidemic potential.

They are there when we are on outreach; they bring us information when we are not around.


They carry and support any health activities that take place in their communities.


On the membership of health committees, Dr. Sory said they need people with backgrounds other than health to help shape a service that would respond to the needs and aspirations of the people they serve.


He said although the committees are advisory in nature, it would be suicidal on the part of health managers to ignore their suggestions because members are respectable and knowledgeable enough to assume advocacy roles for the service.


Dr. Sory believes that the committees will help take the burden we carry and off-load in a manner that will let stakeholders in health appreciate what it is to deliver services in the region.