Health News of Saturday, 17 January 2015

Source: GNA

Afigya-Kwabre ups health promotion efforts

The Afigya-Kwabre District Assembly has increased its efforts at promoting access to healthcare through the upgrading of health facilities and supply of equipment.

Mr. Kwaku Oppong-Kyekyeku Kaakyire, the District Chief Executive (DCE), said the health centres at Boamang and Afrancho would be turned into hospitals.

They would have well-equipped laboratories, provided with delivery beds and generators, alongside running water, he said.

The DCE speaking at an annual performance review meeting of the district health directorate at Kodie, said the situation where cases were always referred to Offinso and Kumasi, would have to end.

He announced plans by the assembly to build two additional Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds to aid the people to receive primary healthcare services.

Also, they would open a district office for National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), he said.

The DCE said the present arrangement where people from the area travelled to another district, Kwabre East, to get enrolled unto the NHIS was not the best and could not be allowed to continue.

Mrs. Anna Omane, the District Director of Health Service, said they would strengthen outreach training and supervision to raise the quality of service delivery.

Additionally, they would intensify data validation and management, and significantly improve performance indicators.

She said as part of measures to bring health services to the doorsteps of the people they would sustain on-going deployment of the community health nurses to the communities, and also intensify health education in schools.