Doctor patient ratio reduces in Northern Region

Tamale, Aug. 27, GNA - Dr Jacob Mahama, Acting Northern Regional Director of Health Services, says the doctor- patient ratio has improved considerably from one doctor per 87,000 patients to one doctor per 68,000 patients in the Northern Region.

He explained that the situation has improved because of recent postings of eight new doctors to the region who he indicates would be occupying many vacant positions in the health delivery processes to ensure quality healthcare.

Dr Mahama was addressing the 2015 mid-year review meeting on Thursday in Tamale which was attended by regional and district directors as well as supporting staff in the region aimed at taking stocks of their performances over the period and strategies for the achievement of planned objectives.

He complained that the region used to have only 33 medical doctors with the exclusion of those working at the Tamale Teaching Hospital.

He said eight new doctors have been posted to improve the number of medical doctors in the region to augment healthcare delivery.

He said even though the situation was better than before, he indicated that more medical doctors are needed to fill in vacant positions.

Dr Mahama expressed dissatisfaction that 10 districts in the region lack district hospitals thus affecting healthcare delivery and appealed to the government to improve the situation.

He said the region is also facing financial difficulties in managing the various health facilities, a situation he indicates has impacted negatively in improving the management of the situation saying: 'This creates poor service delivery.

He indicates that the poor financial situation is caused by the inability of the National Health Insurance Scheme to reimburse the hospitals on claims owned them.

Dr Mahama advised the managers of the various facilities to desist from borrowing money from the drug account to augment their activities explaining that the account is meant to be used to purchase drugs needed at the hospitals.

The director said the region continues to perform poorly in all indicators for the year under review except malaria, which has slightly improved.

He said the region recorded 67 maternal deaths in 2015 mid-year in absolute figures while it recorded 66 cases in 2014, 99 in 2013 and 212 in 2012.

Mr Edward Abu Accrachie, Region Disease Control Officer who presented a report on tuberculosis cases in the region said 7,551 cases of all ages were recorded in the region out of which 320 were recorded in 2015.

He said the region has a detection rate of 14, 1 per cent with East Mamprusi District having the highest rate of the infections.

Mr Accrachie said 25 of the new affected persons were also tested HIV positive.

He appealed for more facilities and diagnostic materials to help in tuberculosis detections.

GNA