Health delivery improvement needs multi sectoral approach

Accra , Nov 16, GNA -Professor. Alexander Nyarko Director of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), on Tuesday said improving upon health delivery in the country, was not only about increasing the number of hospitals and doctors in the country, but entailed a number of factors that affected the health delivery system.

He said good roads, good tele-communication networks and effective health education affected effective health delivery and added “Of course we need many more hospitals and medical practitioners, but what is the use of a hospital if there is no road to send someone there?" Prof.Nyarko was speaking at the Fourth Session of the International Education Fair and Home Coming Event at the University of Ghana-Legon. Themed: "Making Legon a World Class University for Africa", which was organized by the University of Ghana-Legon. It lasts from November 14th to 20th and it is being participated by students, Lecturers, Faculty heads, and other stake-holders. The Director of the Institute said it was important that other factors, which affected health delivery. were looked at seriousely.and that "A road full of pot-holes would for example hamper the transportation of an emergency case, even if there is a clinic which might be quite close.’’ Prof. Joseph Sefa, Deputy Provost, College of Health Sciences, said for a country of "20 million plus people", the turning out of an average of 100 doctors a year was not very encouraging.

He said there was a number of things which could be done to improve upon this relatively low annual churn out.

Prof. Sefa said with the selection criteria to the university of Ghana Medical School being very rigorous, there was the need to find a way of equipping a much larger number of people during their early education with the skills and abilities that could make them qualified for admission into the medical school.

He said this was one of the approaches which could increase the annual churn out of Doctors and in the long run, improve upon health delivery within the country.

Prof Sefa said other areas to be looked at were additional buildings and long distance education, among others.

Prof. Kwame Ofei, Provost at the College of Agricultural Production Science-University of Ghana, said there was the need to equip the agricultural sector with skillful human resource capital, in order to ensure better output. "Among other things, let us ensure that effective credit systems are available to farmers, in order for these farmers to be more resourceful." Prof.Ofei said the college had trained several people in modern and effective farming methods, ten of whom had received national awards for their farming abilities.

Prof. Daniel Asiedu, Dean of the Faculty of Science, University of Ghana, said whilst science formed a crucial pillar in the development of any nation, the college lacked basic facilities such as a stand by generator and that sudden power cuts put certain equipment at the risk of an outright break-down. He observed that a total of 1,000,000 dollars were needed to turn the faculty into a world class facility.

Prof. Marian Ewurama Addy, President of the Anglican University College of Education, said the aim of the conference was to place the University of Ghana as a first class institution. She was of the hope that suggestions and recommendations made during the conference would be accordingly implemented for the benefit of the university.