Common diseases to be eradicated in Ghana

Sakai (U/W), June 20, GNA - With the introduction of Community-based Health and Planning Service (CHPS) the diseases that plagued communities in the past would be completely eradicated by 2015, Dr Daniel Yeyemain, Deputy Upper West Region Director of Health Services has stated. He said, apart from bringing health care to the doorsteps of patients, the CHPS programme would also foster unity between patients and health providers.

Dr Yeyemain stated this when he inaugurated the 16th CHPS Programme at Sakai in the Sissala East District of the Upper West Region. He said although staffing was a major problem, efforts would be made to provide all those facilities with competent health personnel to handle basic health issues at the community level.

The Deputy Regional Director said the introduction of CHPS was also to encourage people, who hitherto did not want to send their patients to health centres for treatment to access health care delivery. He appealed to beneficiary communities to take good care of the health personnel posted to their communities so as to encourage them to put up their best in health delivery.

Mr Thompson Dumba, Sissala East District Director of Health Service, appealed to community members not to burden nurses with cases beyond their control. He urged them to see the facilities as their own property and, therefore, should contribute meaningfully towards their development. Mr Ambrose Dery, Upper West Regional Minister, in a speech read on his behalf appealed to health personnel to tread cautiously when dealing with community members.

"You need to respect the culture of the people and ensure that your relationship with the community is cordial" he advised. He said the rate at which they would work to the satisfaction of the people would buttress the Government's policy of quality health delivery in the next few years. Miss Louisa Nimtori, Community Health Nurse in-charge of the programme, promised to put up her best to reduce the high rate of diseases in the area and appealed for support form community members to achieve that.