Government urged to resource the health sector

Ejisu (Ash), Feb. 9, GNA - Dr Badu Sarkodie, Ejisu-Juaben District Director of Health Services, has appealed to the government to provide adequate resources to the health sector in order to improve the health status of the people, especially the rural dwellers.

He said the health sector was expected to play a crucial role in the national quest for wealth creation among the people as well as the human resource development being envisaged by the government. Making the appeal on Tuesday at the annual district health sector performance review meeting at Ejisu, Dr Sarkodie said it was only when the people were healthy that they would contribute meaningfully to the advancement of national development.

The meeting provided a platform to the district health directorate to review its activities in 2004, plan and set new targets in the coming year.

Dr Sarkodie said the district recorded more than 100 per cent in immunisation last year, while the number of malnourished children declined drastically in the district.

He said the district did not record any wild polio infection or outbreak of new diseases and attributed it to the alertness and strengthening of the community surveillance system by health volunteers in the district.

Dr Sarkodie, however, regretted that while the HIV infection was declining among the youth, it was rather increasing among the 35-60 year groups.

He appealed to the assembly to construct community health compounds to facilitate the work of its volunteers and also construct staff accommodation for health workers in the district. Dr Sarkodie said the district health insurance scheme had come to stay and asked the people to register to enable them benefit from affordable health care delivery.

Mr Yaw Ahenkora Afrifa, District Chief Executive for Ejisu-Juaben, said the assembly was very concerned with the health status of children, women and the youth and was investing heavily in infrastructure development in the health sector.