A total of 13 nurses in the Upper East Region vacated their post in 2024, Dr Samuel Kwabena Boakye-Boateng, the Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has said.
He said apart from that, number, 96 were posted out of the Region, while three resigned within the same year, and indicated that with a target of 0.55 nurse population geographical equity index, 0.40 was recorded in 2023 and 0.39 in 2024.
On doctors, the Director said the year under review witnessed increased number of doctors in the Region, which reduced the doctor population ratio from 1:18,979 in 2023 to 1:17,833 in 2024.
Dr Boakye-Boateng, who has been reassigned to the GHS Headquarters as Director of Policy, Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Division (PPMED), disclosed this in his address at the 2024 annual performance review meeting of the Service in Bolgatanga on the theme: “Using Network of Practice (NoP) to drive universal access to quality maternal health care”.
It offered management of the GHS the opportunity to take stock of their performance in the year under review, and strategize to improve on health service delivery in subsequent years.
The meeting attracted officials from the National, Regional, Municipal and District levels, Medical Directors and Superintendents, Administrators, development partners, Heads of Health Training Institutions, traditional rulers, the media among other stakeholders.
Dr Boakye-Boateng added that despite some challenges encountered in the year under review, the Region made some significant strives in its performance indicators.
He said although malaria was the leading cause of Out-Patient Department (OPD) attendance, the Region did not record any malaria death for the entire population including children under five years.
The Outgoing Director urged healthcare professionals and stakeholders in the Region to embrace and support all evidence-based interventions for malaria including the Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) to eventually eliminate malaria from Ghana.
He indicated that the proportion of deliveries attended to by trained health workers in 2023 was 78.4 percent, 73.1 percent in 2024 which exceeded the Region’s target of 65 percent.
Dr Boakye-Boateng said the proportion of mothers who made at least four Ante-Natal Care visits increased from 85.3 percent in 2023 to 88.4 percent in 2024 with a target of 85 percent.
Mr Donatus Akamugri Atanga, Upper East Regional Minister in a speech read on his behalf, noted the significant strives the Service made in maternal and child health indicators including family planning acceptor rate, supervised delivery and decrease in neonatal mortality rate.
“Your commitment to improving health outcomes is truly commendable, and I commend each and every one of you for your hard work and dedication. Although much still needs to be done,” he said.
-GNA
