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Ten nurses die of fatigue in Eastern Region
Akwatia (15 May 2002) - Ten nurses have died in the Eastern Region within the past two years, due to heavy workload and fatigue at work. Within the same period, more than 20 nurses resigned to seek greener pastures elsewhere.
These were announced in an address delivered by the Deputy Director of Nursing Services, Mrs Agnes Boahene, at the Regional Launch of Nurses Week Celebration at the Saint Dominic’s Hospital at Akwatia on Monday. It had the theme, “Nurses always there for you: Caring for families.”
According to Mrs Boahene, about 1,500 nurses were manning the 18 hospitals, over 40 health centres and health posts as against a required number of 2,500 nurses in the region. She said that the task ahead of the nursing profession was arduous and called on the government and the general public to recognise the important role they play.
“Very often it is only negative issues about nurses that we hear about. A medical ward with 30 patients is sometimes manned by one or two nurses, leading to heavy workload and fatigue. “Thus, more nurses are dying now than about 5-10 years ago. It is important that the contribution of nurses and midwives is recognised and acknowledged as being crucial to the overall attainment of the national health sector goals and objectives,” she declared.
In an address read for her, the National President of the Ghana Registered Nurses Association (GRNA), Mrs Emma Banga, said that to provide adequate quality and cost effective nursing care, there was the need for more than 40,000 nurses to be employed.
According to her, about 10,000 nurses were currently in the country taking care of a population of 19 million. “The image of the Ghanaian nurse at the moment is in danger of losing the lustre, which attracted us all to join the ranks.” Mrs Banga commended the government for responding positively to the plight of nurses by promoting those whose promotions were delayed because of bureaucratic bottlenecks.
The Kwaebibirem District Chief Executive, Mr Yaw Yiadom-Boakye, said that the government was employing more appropriate means of meeting the health needs of Ghanaians.
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