Tumu, March 2, GNA - The Sissala East District Health Service is challenged by many factors including inadequate skilled personnel and equipment. The high doctor patient ratio of 1: 54,000 persons persists as the Tumu District Hospital has to do with only one Ghanaian doctor who works in six health centres and six community health planning and service compounds.

There are only three midwives serving in the sub-district health centres at Tumu, Wellembelle and Kulfuo. Bad roads and long distances between communities and the nearest health facility also worsen the plight of critically ill patients and those who require emergency services. Mr. Joseph B. Bolibie, Sissala East District Director of Health Service, recounted these challenges at the 2010 annual performance review in Tumu on Tuesday.

He said access to health care was still a big challenge in the area because there were few doctors to man the district hospital. Mr Bolibie appealed to the Regional Directorate of Health Service to consider posting an additional doctor to Tumu.

Mr. Bolibie said malaria accounted for about 40 per cent of all cases reported at health facilities. Diarrhoea diseases and upper respiratory tract infections, which were linked to inadequate access to potable water and poor waste management and environmental practices, are also high among children in the district.

Other diseases which were of grave concern are HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis, snake bites and delivery related complications with the district recording four maternal deaths as against five in 2009 The district also registered an increase in supervised delivery services from 664 in 2009 to 719 in 2010. Training in comprehensive abortion care, the use of traditional birth attendance for pregnancy surveillance and the development of a community pregnancy register system to monitor pregnancy out comes among others brought about the increase.

Mr. Bolibie said despite those impediments, there had been satisfactory coverage for childhood immunizations. Madam Alijata Sulemana, the Sissala East District Chief Executive, said the District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme had increased its coverage to 94 per cent as at December 2010 with 81 per cent of the clients being active members of the scheme.

The scheme had also paid service providers up to October 2010. Madam Sulemana commended the District Health Management Team for improving the disease surveillance that helped increased out-patient department attendance, reduction in malaria cases among pregnant women from 1,827 in 2009 to 999 cases in 2010 and increased family planning from 6,429 in 2009 to 9,364 in 2010. 02 March 11