Debts crippling Health services in Volta region


The Volta Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Joseph Teye Nuertey says health care in the region is suffering a serious retrogression as a result of the indebtedness of the various facilities to the Regional medical stores. 

This he disclosed has been caused by the inability of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to service their claims. According to him, most of the health centres and CHPS compounds are the most affected since they attend to majority of patients in the rural areas. 

Dr. Nuertey disclosed this at the opening of a two-day Volta Regional Health Sector 2016 mid-year Performance Review underway in Ho. 

The 2016 half year performance review under the theme,” Achieving Improved Health Outcomes through the use of Quality Improvement Approaches” is intended to create the platform for health workers to exchange notes and experiences, identifying their shortfalls and strategiSe to improve upon their grey areas identified in order to eliminate incompetence to ensure quality health care delivery in the region. 

The Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Joseph Teye Nuertey disclosed that during the period under review, there has been improvement in the operations of the Directorate. 

He said for instance, all the health facilities undergo peer reviews where management members are getting involved for the right thing to be done. Dr Nuertey said focused antenatal care has improved. 

Also all pregnant women tested for HIV scored hundred percent while embarking on the Making Every Baby Count Initiative (MEBCI) is ongoing in all the health facilities leading to positive results. 

The Regional Director of Health also disclosed that the dramatic jump in home visits by Community Health Nurses have tremendously increased health care delivery. He however disclosed that the region is experiencing consistent three year decline in supervised delivery in some districts. 

Touching on immunization, he said the region is below the 40 percent mark in all the antigens for the half year, a situation he attributed to the strike action by Community Health Nurses within the period. 

Dr. Nuertey also disclosed that the region has experienced consistent drop in the number of malaria cases whilst no major outbreaks have been experienced during the period under review except for the fact that 19 district recorded 111 suspected cases of meningitis with seven deaths. 

He complained about the dwindling staffing situation in the region which he is posing serious challenges in the number of allied health administrative and support staff. 

Dr. Nuertey however, reiterated the indebtedness of the health facilities for which they find it difficult to procure drugs to treat their clients. 

He therefore appealed to the NHIA to pay the claims of the facilities to help them operate effectively. 


GBC/GBC’s Volta Regional Correspondent, Korsikuma Hovi’s report.