Only six medical officers and two dental surgeons, out of 22 medical officers and four dental surgeons posted to the Central Region last year, reported for duty.
The Central Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Samuel T. Kwashie, who made this known at the Central Region Health Services 2014 performance review conference in Cape Coast last Tuesday, said the situation was hampering health delivery in the region.
The three-day conference was on the theme: “Strengthening Sub-District Health System for the Attainment of Targeted Health Outcomes.”
According to the director, 106 health staff that included 23 midwives, 32 nurses, four physician assistants and four accountants retired from active service last year, while 29 workers vacated post.
“A further five resigned from the service while we lost 18 through death,” he added.
Disease status Dr Kwashie said the region recorded 3,846 cholera cases last year with 60 deaths from 16 out of the 20 districts.
He said the last case recorded in the region was in December last year.
According to Dr Kwashie, geographical access to basic health services in the region had seen some improvement with the steady increase in the number of functional CHPS zones from 169 in 2012, to 181 in 2013 and 197 in 2014.
He said in line with the Ghana Health Service’s strategy to work more closely with district assemblies, community health nurses were being reassigned to work in the electoral areas.
He said maternal deaths reduced from 64 cases in 2012 to 61 in 2013 and 2014 respectively and expressed the hope that the phenomenon would further decline in 2015.
Challenges and commendation Dr Kwashie expressed concern over the sector’s dwindling financial resources that had been worsened by the non-payment of NHIS claims which had been outstanding for some months now.
The Central Regional Minister, Mr Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, commended the health workers for their contributions towards health delivery in the region in spite of the challenges.
He said the drop in HIV prevalence in the region should not make them complacent, urging the health workers to work harder to get the populace to know their HIV status.
Awards Three distinguished personalities who contributed significantly to health delivery in the region were awarded. They are Mrs Ama Benyiwa Doe, a member of the Council of State, Dr Ato Arthur, Member of Parliament for KEEA District and Dr Benoni Kwaku Bondzie Simpson.
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