Cape Coast, Feb. 18, GNA - The Central Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Aaron Offei, on Wednesday expressed concern about the exodus of doctors and nurses in the region for greener pastures, saying it has greatly affected human resource needs of the sector. According to him, ten out of 54 doctors in the region, which has a total of 67 health institutions, left for greener pastures last year alone, and that the Cape Coast district hospital has only two doctors at present.

Dr Offei was speaking at a review meeting of the regional health directorate at Cape Coast, as part of the first anniversary of the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

He said many of the doctors particularly the young ones, had also left for postgraduate programmes outside the country without any replacements.

According to him, the situation of nurses was no different, and that 100 of the region's nurse population of 1,000 are on study leave while others have either left for greener pastures or left the sector entirely.

He said the region recorded some successes, particularly in the 'roll back malaria' programme and that 7,500 treated bed nets were distributed, thereby reducing the number of malaria cases at most hospitals.

He said there was a slight reduction in maternal mortality and that

63 cases were recorded last year against 86 in the previous year. He said with funds provided under the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS), the directorate supported the treatment of selected diseases including buruli ulcer, tuberculosis, leprosy, malnutrition and HIV/AIDS.

However, the health directorate is still saddled with problems of staff accommodation, inadequate and erratic flow of funds, finance wastage, fraud and inadequate human resources.

Dr Henrietta Odoi-Darko, deputy Director of Public Health Services urged the various districts to innovate measures that would help improve health care delivery in their areas.

She said although there were a lot of constraints plaguing the sector, they should endeavour to satisfy the needs of their clients, so as to meet the objectives of the Ghana health services.