U/W: Health Director Laments Over Doctors, Health Workers Leaving To Southern Sector

The Upper West Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Osei Kuffuor Afreh has expressed grave concerns over the increasing rate at which doctors and other health workers are abandoning the region to the southern part of the country.

Speaking at the Upper West Regional health review meeting in Wa, Dr. Afreh said over 100 health workers succeeded in getting transferred out of the region while almost 70 of them are still seeking transfers.

“The attrition rate of staff is high as majority seek transfer to the south and use all available means to achieve this. So, everybody wants to run away to the south. And as I talk to you now, I have about 67 applications for inter-regional transfer,” he said.

While thanking the government for posting over 700 nurses to augment the situation, the director said he was unhappy that out of the 17 medical officers posted to the region last year, only five assumed duty. He stated that the situation is impacting negatively on healthcare delivery in the region as some districts are currently operating without a doctor.

“The region received 788 staff for posting to health facilities across the region, including the new regional hospitals. This figure represents a 10% increase in staff situation over the previous year. However, it is very sad to note that only five out of seventeen medical officers posted to the region reported and assumed duty while at the same time, six medical doctors in the region left to pursue other studies. Thus we have a deficit of one,” he stated.

Wa chiefs appeal for more doctors to improve healthcare delivery

Chiefs in the Wa municipality of the Upper West Region had also expressed concern over the appalling state of health care delivery in the area.

The paramount chief of the Waala traditional area, Naa Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo IV who made the comment at a durbar of chiefs to welcome President Akufo-Addo to his palace recently said most patients in the area are compelled to seek medical care outside the municipality due to the lack of doctors and other critical staff to man the municipal and regional hospitals located in the area.

The Wa Municipality is the host of the Upper West Regional Hospital which is the main referral health facility in the region.

---citinewsroom