Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) on Monday called for the need to institutionalize the training of clinical ultrasound personnel in the West Africa sub-region, using Ghana as the focus for accurate diagnosis of diseases.

He said the absence of a training centre has resulted in the unavailability of good and efficient services to patients. Prof. Akosa was speaking at the opening of five-day ultrasound training in Accra for 30 health workers drawn from private and public health institutions in country.

The training was organised by KF Medical, distributors of the ultrasound machine in collaboration with BK Medical, manufacturers of the machine and Cocoa Clinic. Participants, at the end of the training are expected to use the ultrasound machine, a scanning machine, accurately and effectively.

Prof. Akosa said there was the need for every hospital to acquire an ultrasound machine for accurate clinical diagnosis and that training should be extended to radiographers, midwives and nurses.

"Even though there are good antenatal services in the country, supervision is very low. Many doctors are not mindful of use of ultrasound only because there is no funding and training," he noted.

He said GHS has expressed the desire to acquire at least one machine each for all the 91 district hospitals in the country for efficient diagnosis of cases. The occasion was also used to out-door an all-purpose Colour Doppler Ultra sound machine for Cocoa Clinic.

The machine, worth 500 million cedis is the first of its kind in the country and can take up to 15 probes, combining general abdominal and obstetric ultrasound, urological and cardiac ultrasound.

It can be packed, folded flat with safety locks and can easily be moved. The machine is useful in enhancing the clinical judgement in both medical and surgical emergencies.

Mr Wisdom Kpoor, Managing Director of KF Medical, recommended the use of the machine by all health institutions for safe and effective services to the public.

Dr Victor Osei, Director-General of Cocoa Clinic commended the organisers and requested that such training be organised periodically.