Dr Jacob Mahama with Salifu Saeed and Dr Kwabena Twum Nuamah, Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, in Tamale
Northern Regional Director of Health, Dr Jacob Mahama, has disclosed that lack of doctors in the region is one of the underlying factors leading to high maternal mortality in the region.
Dr Mahama cried for a national strategy to help deal with the issue of doctors who refuse postings to the Northern Region.
He indicated that maternal mortality is on the rise in the region, with only 53 percent of skill deliveries being recorded, whilst 47 percent of most deliveries in the communities are recorded at homes. He mentioned that maternal mortality results in excessive bleeding after and during delivery.
Dr Mahama added, “Northern Region is one of the four poor regions in the country, we need much funding and means of transportation to facilitate proper health delivery.”
The regional health director stated that the region has 26 administrative districts with 18 district hospitals and eight districts, but without hospitals, thereby, forcing residents in such districts to travel long distance to access healthcare in other districts.
With over 705 electoral zones which are demarcated as chips zones, only 452 are functional with a midwife.
The Northern Region has over 5,400 communities, yet it has the least number of health facilities in the country.
He made these known when the Parliament Select Committee on Health paid a courtesy call on the Northern Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed.
The regional minister appealed to the Parliament Select Committee on Health to collaborate with government and donor partners in order to mobilise funds for the hospitals.
He revealed that the Tamale Teaching Hospital is faced with a lot of challenges and “is under performing in its capacity to provide healthcare for residents.”
The minister pointed out that if the hospital is resourced, the Tamale Teaching Hospital can serve the three regions in the north and other Saharan countries in terms of health delivery.
“If need be, we should bring me specialists from other countries to train and serve in the Tamale Teaching Hospital. Some diseases and sicknesses are particular to the three Northern Regions and are also common to neighbouring Saharan countries. With the right doctors and experts in place, the Tamale Teaching Hospital can serve as a treatment centre for such diseases,” he added.
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale