Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye
Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, has indicated that the current rate of attrition of health workers is unprecedented in the history of the country.
“The staff attrition is occasioned by global shortage of health workers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic but we are working assiduously with the MOH to fill the gaps created by this loss,” he said.
According to him, the GHS is working to ensure better conditions of service for those who take up appointments in less endowed areas.
“I shall take this opportunity to remind our dear managers to put in mechanisms to rotate staff so that those who take up appointments in hard-to-reach and less-endowed areas are not left there forever,” he said.
The GHS Director revealed that a significant number of health professionals, specifically over 3,688 nurses, have left the country in search of better opportunities over the past three years.
He made this known at the Northern Regional Health Directorate 2023 Annual Performance Review Meeting on the theme, “Sustaining Essential Health Service Delivery Towards Achieving Universal Health Coverage: The Role of Stakeholders is Resource Mobilization”
Dr. Kuma-Aboagye was optimistic that with hard-working staff, the deliberate efforts at leadership transformation through the GHS Institute, and ongoing efforts to re-equip and provide needed logistics for their facilities will enhance health care delivery across the country.
“I urge you all to be focused on delivering good quality work as always. Let us forge good relationships and partnerships wherever we are, for alone we can do little but together with others, we can do so much more”.
The Northern Regional Director of the GHS, Dr. Abdulai Abukari, revealed that the region encountered serious challenges in their fight against maternal mortality.
He revealed that the region recorded 100 Institutional Maternal Deaths in 2023 as compared to 69 deaths in 2022 which brings their Institutional Maternal Mortality Ratio to 136.7 per 100,000 live births in 2023 compared to 94.5 per 100,000 live births for the year 2022 with the national target being 125 per 100,000 live births.
“This year, the Regional Health Directorate has taken some serious measures towards addressing this worrisome trend of Maternal Deaths in the region,” he said.
By Eric Kombat, Tamale