The District Director of the Ghana Health Services for the Wa East has bemoaned the refusal of doctors who have been posted to the area.
This was disclosed during its 2022 annual health review meeting, where stakeholders in the district assembled to audit their progress as a services provider in the area at the Bulenga Traditional Council yesterday.
The Wa East district is the most deprived district in the Upper West region, with a population of over ninety-four thousand having access to only one medical doctor who doubles as the district director of the service.
Even though we received support from the chief of Bulenga and others, we are still at an infant stage to complete it.
The area is dominantly made up of farming communities with a very low-income bracket and very little infrastructural development, and bad road access in the area, amidst terrible mobile network signal in most parts of the area, with overseas communities which are often cut off during the rainy seasons.
The district director of the service, Dr Mwin Paschal, said that, coupled with the lack of health infrastructure in the area and the refusal of doctors posted to the area, mostly on their first visits, quality health delivery has become more difficult to offer to the locals.
‘‘Just this year, we received postings for one doctor to be stationed at the Bulenga Health Centre. Our biggest challenge was accommodation, and also to fashion out a motivational package to attract him to stay. His later assumption was reported to the region pending his arrival. Unfortunately, after also coming to access the place (somebody who is even from this area), he turned his back on us. So as at now, we do not have any other doctor apart from myself’’ he added soberly
Dr. Mwin disclosed that 60% of referrals from the district are made up of maternal and Neonatal cases, which are often made to the regional hospital. He recounted how a mother and baby referred to the Wa municipal hospital last year for theatre service were lost due to the lack of health infrastructure in the district.
The Wa East district has no medical laboratory, Polyclinic, or hospital to attend to cases that a CHPs Compound can’t handle. Most referrals are taken to the regional capital, which is about an hour’s drive from the nearest health centre in the area.
The director said this necessitated the need to have a Polyclinic in the area by initiating a donor wall to help convert part of a structure at the Bulenga Health Centre into a theatre and called on the general public to support the initiative.
n this case, we have come out with a Donor Wall and are open to receiving donations that would go into completing the theatre for use
A ward block that was handed to the facility by the Wa East Assembly has parts of it converted for a theatre, but lacks adequate resources to complete it. This has, however, compelled the Health Centre to set up a Donor Wall to raise funds and equipment to help realise the dream of an operational theatre in the district.
‘‘Even though we received support from the chief of Bulenga and others, we are still at an infant stage to complete it. In this case, we have come out with a Donor Wall and are open to receiving donations that would go into completing the theatre for use. This Donor Wall would have names of people who have supported with various donations, either in cash, materials or in terms of equipment for the facility’’ he stated.
A minute’s silence was, however, observed for the mother and baby that was lost due to the failure of the health system in the area.
A visit to the Donor Wall at the health centre enabled stakeholders to appreciate the need to support the initiative.
