Foase (Ash), Jan. 28, GNA - The Atwima-Kwanwoma District in the Ashanti Region expected to serve a population of over 97,312 has no medical doctor.

Madam Beatrice Adjei, District Director of Health Service for Atwima-Kwanwoma, who announced this, said there were only two medical assistants at Foase and the Trabuom government hospitals in the area. She said all emergency cases had to be referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi adding that the remoteness of some communities in the district and poor nature of roads in the area aggravated the problem.

Madam Beatrice Adjei who was speaking at the district annual health review meeting at Foase on Friday, appealed to the government to as a matter of urgency rectify the situation to enhance health care delivery in the district.

Concerning the health situation in the district, he said 23,051 malaria cases representing 57.5 per cent of cases reported to health facilities. Madam Beatrice Adjei said diarrhoea cases were 1,851 representing 4.6 per cent, acute respiratory infection 1,825 representing 4.5 per cent, hypertension, 1,245 representing 3.1 per cent and skin disease 1,216 representing 3 per cent of cases.

Mr. Thomas Tawiah Abbey, Ashanti Regional Health Promotion Officer, expressed concern about the huge indebtedness of the National Health Insurance Scheme to health facilities.

He appealed to the government and other stakeholders to expedite action on the payment of claims by health facilities.

Mr. Felix Osei Bonsu, an official of the Scheme, attributed the delay in payment of claims to the late submission of claims, wrong formats and mistakes in some reports which take some time to correct. He urged health care providers to make sure that their records were handled by trained personnel.

Dr Appiah Kubi, Member of Parliament for Atwima-Kwanwoma called on health personnel to take interest in record keeping and data to enhance their daily operations. He then pledged to contribute to the development of health in the district. 28 Jan. 08