Ban on motorbike riding in Bawku Municipality affecting Health delivery

Stakeholders at Regional forum organized by the Integrated Social Development Centre(ISODEC ) in Bolgatanga on Friday have observed that the ban on motorbike riding in the Bawku Municipality was seriously affecting health delivery systems in the area.

They expressed concern that the issue was very serious because health workers find it very difficult in reaching the communities to administer health care to the people particularly pregnant women The stakeholders in their communiqué stressed the need for government to exempt health workers in the area from the ban to enable them deliver health services to the people The forum which under the ISODEC “SIMAVI” project attracted stakeholders in health including Civil Society Organizations, Coalitions of NGOs into Health , Community Based Organizations, Staff from the Ghana Health Service and among others was to brainstorm on how to address the problem of the refusal of health service personnel to deprived areas.

The forum which was on also the placement of Health Personnel to deprived Districts in its communiqué observed that the lack of health personnel in rural and deprived areas was attributed to political influence. The stakeholders pointed out that the deployment of health personnel to deprived districts is greatly affected because majority of the Health personnel posted to such areas used politicians to influence management of the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service to cause a favourable change for them “This is seriously affecting and undermining effective health delivery in rural and deprived areas”, they stressed. The Participants in a communiqué called on government to as a matter of urgency intervene into the matter to stop the practice or else Government’s dream of achieving the Millennium Development Goals four and five would be greatly hampered.

“ There is also the need for management of Health institutions and head of Health Directorates to instill discipline and be firmed in taken decisions to ensure that health personnel are equitable posted and as well as take punitive measures against those who refuse posting to their respective areas.,” they stressed.

According to them the rural areas were the most areas that demanded greatly health professionals particularly in the Community Based Health Planning Centres(CHPS)., stressing that ” it is quite alarming that sometimes none of the health personnel deployed to such areas refused posting to such areas without any tangible reasons”

They further in their communiqué impressed on Government to demonstrate more political commitment by devoting more resources to the training and motivation of health personnel, construction of health centers, CHPS and connection of health centers to the national grid or provide solar powers to such areas

Government, they noted, should tasked the various Metropolitan , Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to build more CHPS Compounds to improve access to healthcare It further called on NGOs, CSOs and non-state actors to support the training of more health personnel, help in the provision of residential accommodation and provision of motorbikes to health staff to facilitate health delivery