Doctor-Patient Ratio Declines In Western Region

Busua (W/R) Feb. 14, GNA - Doctor Sylvester Anemana, Western Regional Director of Health Services has said, the declining doctor patient ratio in the various health facilities in the region was alarming. He said while the doctor patient ratio was one doctor to 29,223 patients in 2001, the figure had risen to 41,539 patients to one doctor in 2003.

Dr. Anemana who was addressing the closing ceremony of a four-day annual review meeting of the service at Busua on Friday said, despite the worsening manpower situation of key health professionals in the region, the health status of the people and the utilization of services, had improved in 2003 as compared to 2002.

Dr. Anemana said infant mortality rate (IMR), which stood at 24.2 per cent per every 1,000 births, had reduced to 18.6 per cent in 2003. He again stressed that Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), which also stood at 393.3 per cent, had reduced to 280 per cent within the same period. "For most of the delivery indicators, the performance in 2003 showed significant improvements over 2002" he added.

He said the annual review meetings were instituted by the MOH for all its hospital, district health management teams and health training institutions in the region, to take stock of their activities over the previous year.

Dr. Anemana said the present meeting was aimed at assessing achievements, constraints and challenges and to share ideas. Madam Sophia Horner-Sam, Deputy Western Regional Minister charged the MOH to work hard and reverse the negative trend of HIV/AIDS on the country's population.

She said malaria, tuberculosis and yaws should be given special attention, to eradicate them entirely from the society and called on all health professionals and stakeholders to join hands with the government to strengthen and improve on the health delivery in the country. He said the promotion of healthy lifestyles, diseases prevention and control, improving emergency preparedness and health service delivery and implementing strategies to reduce brain drain, should be the main focus of the MOH this year.