Health professionals should commit themselves to economic growth

Health professionals should commit themselves to economic growth

February 04, 2010
Winneba (C/R), Feb. 4, GNA - Mr Nii Ephraim, Effutu Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), on Wednesday asked health personnel to develop a high sense of professionalism and commitment to combat diseases and accelerate economic growth.

Addressing participants at an annual health review conference organised by the Municipal Directorate of the Ghana Health Services (GHS) in Winneba, he reiterated the need for health workers to commit themselves towards the building of a healthier and prosperous nation.

In a keynote address, Dr G.K. Morrison, Municipal Director of the GHS said some of the challenges confronting health delivery in the area, were poor quality of clinical services in private and public health facilities, undue delays in the re-imbursement of health insurance claims, high immunisation dropout rate and poor data quality.

Others include, inadequate human resource, dwindling financial inflow for service delivery, poor state of residential accommodation for health employees, inadequate emergency preparedness and response system, high maintenance cost of vehicles, lack of transport and weaknesses within the internal control system.

He said a technical committee appointed to address health problems in the municipality recommended the need for interventions such as public education on behavioural change, systematic in-service training programme, institution of annual award system, investment in environmental sanitation and health facilities, and implementation of sector-wide approach mechanism.

Dr Morrison however expressed happiness that the Municipal Directorate had recorded an appreciable drop in the maternal mortality rate.

He said the Municipal Health Directorate would require GH¢220,715 for a successful implementation of the strategic health development plan drawn by the Municipal Health Directorate.

Under the plan, the directorate will create at least one functional CHPS Zone within the municipality, strengthen integrated disease surveillance and response system, improve quality assurance programmes in all health institutions in the area and improve on accident emergency preparedness and response system.

A CHPS Zone is a Community-based Health Planning Services area, which consist of communities within a radius depending on population density.

The recommended population of a CHPS Zone is 3,000 to 4,500.

GNA