Doctors refuse postings to Wa East District – GHS Director

The District Director of Ghana Health Service (GHS) at Wa East in the Upper West Region, Dr. Mwin Paschal has expressed worry over doctors abandoning their post in the area.

Mr. Paschal disclosed this during the 2022 Annual Health Review Meeting held at the Bulenga Traditional Council.

The Wa East district is the most deprived district in the Upper West region with a population of over ninety-four thousand having access to only one medical doctor who doubles as the District Director of the GHS.

The area is made up of farming communities with a very low-income bracket, very little infrastructural development as well as bad roads in the area amidst terrible mobile network signals.

The District Director addressing the Review Meeting said the lack of health infrastructure has contributed to doctors rejecting posting to the area on their first visit.

‘‘Just this year we received postings for one doctor to be stationed at the Bulenga Health centre. Our biggest challenge was accommodation and also to fashion out a motivational package to attract him to stay. Unfortunately after coming to access the place, and this is somebody who is even from this area but he turned his back on us. So as off now we do not have any other doctor apart from myself,” he stated.

Dr. Mwin disclosed that 60% of referrals from the district are made of maternal and Neonatal cases which are often directed to the regional hospital.

He recounted how a mother and baby referred to the Wa Municipal hospital last year for theater service died due to lack of the required health facility.

He added that the Wa East District has no medical laboratory adding that most referrals are taken to the regional capital which is about an hour drive from the nearest health center in the area.

This, the District Director said has necessitated the need to have a Polyclinic in the area adding that with the help of the public a structure at the Bulenga Health Center can be used as a theater.