Nkwanta, April 20, GNA - Mr Joseph Denteh, Nkwanta District Chief Executive (DCE), has made an urgent appeal to the Ghana Health Service to post a doctor to the Nkwanta District Hospital to relieve the doctor at post who is currently on sick leave. He said the absence of a medical officer at the hospital had created a gap, with many sick people staying at home or cramming the St Joseph Hospital, a private medical facility in Nkwanta, which has only one doctor.

Mr Denteh who was speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Nkwanta said the Hospital, which served the people in the District, Krachi-East and parts of neighbouring Togo had been the destination of many people in the area seeking hernia operation.

The DCE said his office had received several calls and visits from citizens asking what was being done to get a doctor for the District Hospital.

He said the absence of a doctor at the hospital since the beginning of the year could also affect the credibility of the District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme, as the hospital was the scheme's main service provider.

Mr Denteh said the situation was also affecting the well-structured referral system from the 19 zones through the health centres to the District Hospital.

He recalled that attempts in the past to get a second doctor to the District to help the sick doctor who also doubles as the District Director of the Ghana Health Service had failed. Mr Denteh said this time round an urgent decision needed to be taken to remedy the situation before the situation got worse.