Ankaful (C/R), June 23, GNA - Mr. Isaac Edumadze, Central Regional Minister, on Thursday expressed concern about the refusal of some health professionals, such as doctors and pharmacists, to accept postings to the region due to the perception that other regions were better endowed and more conducive to work in. He therefore, called on the various district assemblies and other stakeholders in the health sector, to provide an enabling environment, such as security and safety measures, residential accommodation and other incentives to attract and retain health staffs in the districts. Mr. Edumadze expressed the concern, in a speech read for him, at the graduation ceremony of 92 health aides, drawn from all the districts of the region, at Ankaful.

The graduands, who are the second batch of the programme, which began in 2004, pursued six weeks training in "anatomy, physiology, basic biology, basic equipment handling and supplies and basic nursing", among others, at the Ankaful Nurses Training College.

Mr. Edumadze explained that availability of qualified health professionals in the districts was essential for the successful take-off of the National Insurance Health Scheme (NHIS).

He said, without qualified health professionals, quality health care that would be demanded from health workers by the people would be an illusion, when the NHIS took-off fully.

The Regional Minister, was happy that there was a decrease in the maternal mortality rate in the region from five per 1000 live births in 2001 to 1.34 per 1000 live births in 2004, and that the region also recorded over 100 percent National Immunization Day (NID) coverage. More

Mr. Edumadze further stated that in the past year, the region did not record any guinea-worm case, and that there had not been any major outbreak of cholera, stressing that, all these would not have been possible without the commitment and dedication of health personnel, who were working under very challenging conditions. He congratulated the graduands on their successful completion of the programme and advised them to be committed and dedicated to their duties.

Dr. Ken Sagoe, Director, Human Resource Development Division, Ghana Health Service (GHS), on his part, commended the regional coordinating council and the district assemblies, for sponsoring the graduands, and urged them to keep it up. He however, appealed to them to sponsor youth from the various districts to pursue nursing and other health professional training programmes, to help enhance health care delivery in the district after their training.

Dr Aaron Offei, Regional Director, GHS, in a welcoming address, said reports received so far on the performance of the first batch of health aides from his outfits' monitoring team indicated that they were performing very well and therefore asked the graduands to also live up to expectation.

Mr Ebenezer Hammond, the course prefect, appealed to the GHS to design a study leave policy for health aides to enable them to pursue further studies in health related courses, in future. Mr Richard Essilfie was adjudged the over-all best student of the batch.