Tamale, Feb. 24, GNA - The Northern Regional Health Directorate has increased healthcare facilities and these include construction of five new polyclinics in Chereponi, Janga, Karaga, Kpandai and Tatale in 2010.

A new hospital is under construction at Zabzugu and is about 95 percent complete while a district hospital for East Gonja is ongoing and three new district hospitals have also been earmarked for Damongo, Buipe and Gambaga. The number of health infrastructure has therefore increased from 264 in 2009 to 272 in 2010 while 500 motorcycles 44 pickups were also acquired on high purchase to augment healthcare delivery.

Dr. Akwasi Twumasi, the Northern Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), said this in Tamale on Wednesday during the 2010 annual performance review meeting of the region.

The meeting, which brought together directors and some personnel from the 20 districts of the region, was under the theme; 93Using information f= or better decisions towards effective staff support and supervision to achieve MDG 4 and 5".

Dr. Twumasi expressed worry that despite improvements in the healthcar= e facilities, there were serious personnel to mand these facilities. Out of 11 doctors posted to the region, only two reported, three pharmacists posted with two reporting, three midwifes posted, only one reported.

He said those doctors who were posted to the region and refused to show up switched their mobile phones off when they realized that the Northern Regional Health Directorate was calling them to report. Dr. Twumasi said the financial inflow from the internally generated funds and government sector support for the region had also seen an increas= e from GHc 21,978,096.00 in 2009 to GHc 24,807,268.10 in 2010.

Dr. Twumasi said malaria continued to be the number one cause of daily hospital attendance accounting for 48.3 per cent of the 36,969 and that typhoid fever was also among the top 10 cases of OPD.

He said the region recorded 1,040 cases of snake bites and expressed worry that the situation was getting serious due to shea nut picking. Dr Twumasi appealed to people to get themselves protected when engagin= g in activities that expose them to snake bites.

He noted that despite improvements in the various healthcare delivery institutions in the region, maternal mortality was still a major problem, with 81 maternal deaths in 2010 as against 96 in 2009. Dr. Twumasi said the establishment of four Health Training Schools in the region had boosted the staff strength of auxiliary nurses who had contributed to health delivery but expressed dissatisfaction about the inadequate residential accommodation for the staff.

Hajia Hajara Telly, Chairperson for the occasion, appealed to the GHS to collaborate with the Information Services Department and the Commission for Civic Education to sensitized the general public on various ways of living healthy lives.

She expressed worry that despite efforts being undertaken by the government and the GHS, the country still experiences high maternal deaths and called for more efforts to combat the menace.

Alhaji Haruna Friday, the Tamale Metropolitan Chief Executive, pledged the support of the assembly in providing residential accommodation to healt= h workers.