Communities urged to keep environments clean

Mr. John Owu, Birim North District Co-ordinating Director has urged communities to make conscious efforts to keep their environments clean in order to reduce diseases resulting from filth.

Mr Owu contended that medical bills would be reduced and a lot of money saved to undertake developmental projects in the District.

Mr Owu gave the advice at New Abirem in the Eastern Region during the Annual Performance Review Meeting of the District Health Administration (DHA) for 2008 which brought together health personnel from all the six Sub-Districts, Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs), Assembly members, heads of decentralized departments, opinion leaders as well as traditional authorities.

He regretted that despite the good track record of the DHA, it lacked basic necessities like transport and residential accommodation for the District Director of Health Services and one for a Resident Medical Officer who was yet to be posted.

He gave assurance that as soon as District Chief Executive was nominated by the President and received approval, the Assembly would do all that it could to assist to solve the accommodation problem for the medical officers.

Mr. Tei Djangmah, District Director of Health Services disclosed that one of the areas that the 2009 plan would strive to address was promoting family planning.

He said to sustain the “zero tolerance” for maternal deaths in the District, every effort would be made to reduce criminal abortions and to do that, there was the need to intensify education on family planning.

Miss Mary Andoh, Deputy Director of Nursing Services disclosed that the incidence of teenage pregnancy was 834 for 2006, 783 for 2007 and 954 for 2008, adding that, the stakeholder should help reduce the trend since it could have very serious effect on the District's development.

Nana Amo Kyeretwie, Abiremhene, who chaired the function commended health personnel of the District for their hard work, commitment and dedication and encouraged them to redouble their efforts to enhance quality health care in the District.