Sunyani, March, 18 GNA- Senior Minister Mr. J.H. Mensah on Wednesday expressed the government's determination to find a permanent strategy to improve the conditions of service for health personnel, especially doctors.

He said the government had tried various ad hoc means to achieve this goal "but now we need a permanent long-lasting solution to the problem".

The Senior Minister was speaking at the 2003 Brong Ahafo Regional Health Awards night in Sunyani at which deserving individual health personnel; district health centres and district health management teams were presented with various prizes.

Mr. Mensahn said in pursuance of the permanent solution, the government was working on the whole concept of the poverty reduction code and would be thinking anew of how to approach the problem. He commended the award winners especially those in deprived areas and urged them to redouble their efforts towards helping to eliminate the depravation that still prevailed in the region.

The Senior Minister noted that records indicated that the rate of infection of certain diseases in the region was rather escalating, which he said posed a big challenge to health personnel.

Mr. Mensah called for greater efforts to develop health professionals to stay in the country to help tackle diseases like buruli ulcer, HIV/AIDS and malaria.

Dr George Bonsu, acting Regional Director of Health Services said a review of performances in the past year, under the theme, "Increasing Access to Health Care" demonstrated the commitment of Ghana Health Service (GHS) to reach every person in the region with quality health care.

He said among the achievements of the past year were that service targets were achieved in most clinical and public health areas, as the year saw an improvement in the OPD attendance from 0.62 to 0.69. Immunization coverage was above 90 per cent for all antigens and there has been a drastic reduction in the number of measles cases in the region, reducing by 90 per cent in 2003.

Dr Bonsu said every seven out of 10 deliveries were supervised as a result of which maternal mortality had reduced from 240 to 100,000 live births in 2002 to 200 in 100,000 live births in 2003. He added that there had been a 40 per cent reduction in the number of guinea worm cases.

Dr Bonsu said despite these achievements, there still remained some challenges, including malaria, which he said remained the top cause of OPD attendance, accounting for 47 per cent, HIV/AIDS prevalence on he increase and the increasing incidence of buruli ulcer in Asutifi, Asunafo and Tano districts.

announced that the Service would this year address the poliomyelitis and guinea worm in all the endemic areas.

He appealed to the government to give priority attention to the institution of incentive packages to encourage health personnel in deprived areas to continue to work there and attract others to join them. 18 March 04