Dr advocate improvement in sanitation and better hygiene practices

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga The Upper East Regional Director of Health Services, Dr John Koku Awoonor-Williams has advocated improvement in social matters such as sanitation and better hygiene practice to prevent epidemics such as cholera. The Upper East Region in the year 2012 recorded 167 cases of cholera with three deaths. The last time the region experienced a cholera outbreak was 2006 where 19 cases were recorded with one death. Speaking at the annual regional health sector performance review meeting for 2012 in Bolgatanga, Dr. Awoonor-Williams said the situation is a real test of the poor environmental and food hygiene practices as index cases were traced to water and food sources. "We need to improve our sanitation."He stressed. Presenting a detailed report for the health sector in the region for the years 2012, Dr Awoonor-Williams said the region witnessed a reduction trend of under-five mortality rates since 2006. This reduction, he said could be explained by early diagnosis and treatment, improved care, equipment and diagnostics, training, staff commitment among others. Dr Awoonor-Williams noted that the attainment of MDG 4 will require that health workers focus on neonatal care to reduce preventable deaths from birth asphyxia, prematurity and neonatal sepsis. He said steps are already being taken and with the support of UNICEF, two neonatal intensive care units will be established alongside on-going trainings being conducted on neonatal and newborn care. The Regional Director of Health Services said functional CHPS zones increased from 87 in 2008 to 177 in 2012 representing 86 per cent increase over a 4 year period due to the determined efforts and focus to reach the larger populations and address geographical access disparities. He said the region in 2012 saw significant improvement in Community Health Officers contribution to total health service delivery. "The engagement, contribution and active collaboration with municipal/district assemblies are significant. We continue to acknowledge MDAs support in health infrastructure construction notably CHPS compounds, expansion of existing facilities, staff accommodation and office space."He said. Dr Awoonor-Williams said in spite of the modest gains chalked by the region, human resource availability continue to be major headache of the healthcare delivery system in the region. He disclosed that all nine doctors posted to the region in 2012 failed to report while one doctor vacated post. He said additionally, a total of 42 health professionals were posted out of the region in compliance with Ghana Health Service new staff placement with regards to nurses and midwives. On the contrary, he said only four staff were posted to the region from headquarters in return. "This is a flawed policy. We will continue initiatives to help attract and retain staff in the region including the three year minimum bond years for staff, that is nurses and midwives, graduating from health training schools in the region."He said. A former Director General of the Ghana Heath Service, Dr Elias Sory commended the Upper East Regional Director of Health Services for initiatives taken to improve on health services in the region. He particularly commended Dr Awoonor-Williams for supervising the construction of an in-service training and conference centre through his own initiative and innovative ways of fund raising and said such structure will go a long way to contribute towards staff training. On Hunan Resources , Dr Sory said the rules of engagement in the sector must be redefined stressing that Government and health workers will have to sit together and discuss how best to redress the problem. He advocated the decentralization of recruitment so that the regions can have control of resources meant for recruitment of personnel. Dr Agana Nsiire, National Programme Manager for Yaws who represented the Director General of the GHS. Dr. Appiah Denkyira said the vision of the service was that at a certain point in the future, there should be total and accessible health services delivery for everyone. Again, thee should be no childhood and maternal death and challenged staff of the service to contribute to achieving that vision. He also tasked them to move away from the top-down approach stressing that instead of relaying in top hierarchy for directives, each staff irrespective of where he or she finds him or herself should consider him or self asequally important person on the same plane who can effect change. -END-