85% of medical doctors refuse posting to Savannah Region - health director bemoans

85% of medical doctors refuse posting to Savannah Region - health director bemoans

The Ghana Health Service in the Savannah Region has bemoaned the unwillingness of medical officers to accept posting to the infant region.

This it said was hampering against the effort of the service to ensure a responsive and resilient healthcare delivery system that meets the health needs of the people in the region.

At an annual Regional Health Sector Performance Review Conference held at the Unity Centre in Damongo,the Savannah Regional Director of Health Service, Dr. Chrysantus Kubio disclosed that 85% of medical doctors posted to the region in the year under review failed to report.

"In the year under review,the region received 1,133 new staff,out of which 225 failed to report, representing 20% posting rejection rate. Going into specific professions, Medical Officers rejection rate was 85%. This calls for stakeholder deliberation at the various Municipal and District Assembly levels to device means and attract these critical staff to accept posting to our region,"he said.

He said the region still depends on its mother region,the Northern Regional Health Directorate Medical Stores for support, adding that, the Savannah Regional Coordinating Council has however allocated 10-acre land in the long term for the construction of a Regional Medical Store, mechanical workshop and equipment workshop.

The region according to him,took delivery of two state-of-the-art District Hospitals and a Polyclinic in Buipe,Sawla and Bamboi respectively, vaccinated 23% of the regional targeted population against COVID-19 and successfully controlled the yellow fever outbreak in the region by vaccinating a total population of 241,777;which is 100% of the at-risk population targeted for vaccination during the outbreak. 

He commended their partners and the Member of Parliament for the Damongo Constituency for the support over the years and used the occasion to encourage all well meaning individuals and organizations to come to the aid of the region Interms logistical support.

The Savannah Regional Minister, Saaed Muhazu Jibreal commended all the health staff and development partners for the immense contribution and hard work which resulted in the modest gains in the health indicators in the year under review. 

He said there can be no meaningful socio-economic development in any country where there is high disease burden,stressing that," health is wealth". 

The minister decried the perceived negative attitude of some staff towards clients and work,adding that, the ongoing industrial arrest at the West Gonja Hospital by Medical Officers is a case in point.

According to him, government was making effort through the Ministry of Health to address the transportation needs of health facilities in the new region.

In a brief message,the Ghana Health Service Council urged all health workers to rededicate themselves to the mandate of the service and work diligently towards the achievement of the goals and objectives the service has set for itself.

The conference brought together key players in the health sector and their partners, including all health directors in the various municipalities and districts in the region to assess the overall health performance as a region,discuss priorities and commit to working together to further enhance improvement in the objectives the service has set for itself under the theme," ensuring comprehensive service delivery in the midst of a pandemic".

Source: Ananpansah Bartholomew Abraham