Techiman (B/A), Feb. 14, GNA - Dr. Gladstone Kesse, Techiman Municipal Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has appealed for more nurses and doctors to be assigned to the Holy Family Hospital at Techiman to sustain the inflow of patients at the hospital. He said the problem of inadequate staff had put a great strain on the few doctors and nurses at the hospital, with only one surgeon and a physician specialist.

Dr Kesse made the appeal at a press conference at Techiman on Friday to launch the GHS month and to explain the rationale, objectives, organizational structure and collaborators of the service.

The Municipal Director said the strategic location of the hospital had made it to receive more cases than it could handle, as several cases were referred from Kintampo, Wenchi, Nkoranza and Akomadan.

He stressed the need for the expansion of the hospital mortuary and the provision of new equipment to preserve more bodies for a reasonable period.

Dr. Kesse commended the staff of the hospital for their selfless devotion to duty in spite of the pressure and appealed to the Ministry of Health, the Municipal Assembly and non-governmental organizations for assistance.

Madam Margaret Aboligu, Municipal Public Health Nurse, announced that the hospital last year recorded about 58 per cent of referral cases from Brong-Ahafo, Northern and Ashanti regions.

She said plans were far advanced to convert the antenatal clinic to a polyclinic to reduce the pressure on the hospital.

Mr. Isaac Osei-Antwi, Municipal Chief Executive, said the Assembly had disbursed more than 400 million cedis on health delivery in the municipality.

He lauded the efforts of workers of the health sector and assured them of the Assembly's continued support.

Other speakers were Mr. Owusu Afriyie, Municipal Disease Control Officer of the GHS, Mr. Sampson Y. Assiamah, Kasapah Pharmacy and member of the Municipal Health Committee.