Health directorate organises workshop for health workers

Nkoranza (B/A), Dec. 4, GNA - The Nkoranza district health directorate has organised a three-day training workshop for about 100 health workers serving in the various health institutions in the district to educate them on the new anti-malaria policy and the intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) of malaria cases among the people in the communities.

The workshop was also aimed at equipping the participants with the knowledge and skills necessary for the diagnosis and management of uncomplicated and severe malaria and other diseases. Mr. Richard Hinneh, district director of health services (DDHS) who addressed the participants announced that, malaria as a disease was a major problem that faced all countries in the world as about 3,000 people die every day world-wide.

Mr. Hinneh said in Ghana an average of 7,500 malaria cases are reported in health institutions every day and that about 40,000 deaths are recorded annually.

He expressed concern about how children, especially those between zero and five years were most vulnerable, as about 45 of such children and seven pregnant women die of malaria daily.

Mr. Hinneh disclosed that about five thousand cases of malaria are recorded from Nkoranza district every month.

He attributed the deaths that resulted from malaria to the lack of access to health care, life saving drugs and insecticide treated bed nets and stressed the need for the people to report symptoms of the disease to medical officers without delay and to save their lives. Studies have revealed that childhood deaths from malaria often occur within two days of developing symptoms and that parents should ensure to report their sick babies for prompt attention from the hospitals to save their lives.

Mr. Hinneh urged the health workers to give proper education to their clients in order that they would take malaria drugs according to the prescription given them as any least mistake caused by a patient in the application of drugs could lead to death.

He called on Assemblymembers, unit committees, traditional rulers and religious leaders to educate the people to keep their environment clean so as to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in such places.

Mr. Anthony Ofori Brong-Ahafo Regional Malaria Control Programme Officer announced that the Ghana Health Service (GHS) was moving from the use of Chroloquine to the use of a new and combined drug called Artesunate-Amodiaquine which has been found to be more effective for the treatment of malaria.

Mr. Ofori commended the Government for subsidizing the price of the new drug which has high world market price and thereby making it available for use in the health institutions and to save the lives of the people.

The GHS has therefore drawn up a programme to organise series of workshops for health workers and other stakeholders to educate them on how to apply the drugs in treating malaria cases as the drugs would soon be seen in the chemical and pharmacy stores.

Miss Alice Vorleto, district public health nurse called on the midwives and nurses in-charge of the various health facilities in the district to submit accurate and regular reports and returns of their activities at the end of every month in order that the district directorate would compile all the reports to Sunyani regional headquarters.

Miss Vorleto explained that the record and report of cases would serve as a case study for health officers to come out with the necessary results to address similar problems. Resource persons included Mr. Augustine Frimpong, district disease control officer, Miss Verto, district public health nurse and Mr. Peter Paul, district surveillance officer.