Ministry helping to stem resurgence of guinea worm disease

Accra, Feb. 22, GNA - The Ministry of Health has intensified public education on the need to protect water sources to help stem the resurgence of the guinea worm disease, Dr Moses Adibo, a Deputy Sector Minister, told Parliament on Tuesday.

Dr Adibo, who was responding to parliamentary questions, said the Ministry is aware of the resurgence of the disease and Ghana may well be the third or even second most endemic country in the world in terms of reported cases.

"This is most unfortunate, because within the first five years since the guinea worm eradication programme started in 1989, the reported cases were reduced by more than 95 per cent".

He said the surest means of breaking the transmission cycle of the disease is by providing the people with potable water. The Ministry is disseminating educational message on the need to filter drinking water and to report all cases of infection to health institutions part of efforts to contain the resurgence.

The Deputy Minster had been asked whether the sector was aware that Ghana is the third most guinea worm endemic country in the world. Asked why the upsurge in the disease, Dr Adibo explained that many people, especially those in rural communities, contract the diseases through drinking guinea worm-infested water if their known water sources dry up during the dry season.

On whether the Ministry hopes to achieve eradication of the disease without the provision of potable water, he said this is attainable if people strictly maintain interpersonal hygiene.

On disparities between remunerations of health professionals in the Ministry of Health and their colleagues in the Military Hospital, Dr Adibo explained that the conditions of service in the two establishments are different, hence the difference, saying for instance, doctors in the Military Hospital cannot go on strike.

Asked if the same conditions, including absence of strike, obtain in both establishments, would the two categories have the same remuneration, the Deputy Minister replied that when that happens, the ability to pay would also be a factor.

On the Ministry's programme to retain as many health professionals as possible in the country, he announced that the sector is working on a local post-graduate programme to entice them to stay.

Dr Adibo said the Ghana Health Service is gradually taking off even though the legislative instrument covering its operations is not yet ready. He explained that the Attorney General's Department has advised that the Service can operate under the legislative instrument covering the Civil Service pending the enactment of the required legislation.

On the recent increases in the user fees at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, which was later withdrawn, the Deputy Minister said the Ministry gave the green light for the increases.

He said, however, that the decision was reversed later since it had no prior Cabinet or parliamentary approval. Besides, he said, it was considered that the increases should not be done between the teaching hospitals and their boards since the issue of user fees is sensitive and could adversely affect attendance.

In an answer to a suggestion that since the increases in the user fees did not get the approval of either Cabinet or Parliament, they were illegal and if so how is the Ministry refunding such monies, Dr Adibo said until instructions are given for a refund, the user fees are deemed duly collected.

On the advantages and disadvantages of non-health workers administering hospitals, Dr Adibo said a well-trained and experienced manager might introduce good business and managerial practice in the health care system.

The person might have the advantage of being a little detached and hence take more unbiased decisions, while he may not be conversant with the system with its peculiar inputs and expected outputs.

He said the non-health person might not immediately understand the priorities or urgencies inherent in health and medical care delivery. In addition, the non-health worker may take a long time to know the system and may not be able to fully develop good working relationships with the many health professional groups in the sector.

The Deputy Minister said that non-health personnel as hospital administrators have been tried elsewhere, including the United Kingdom, but doctors, trained as administrators, have been found to be the preferred alternative.

Asked when the Savelugu/Nanton District Health Centre in the Northern Region, would be upgraded to a district hospital as it now caters for 200,000 people, Dr Adibo said the Ministry has no immediate plans.

He explained that this is because in 1995, the Ministry in collaboration with foreign consultants did a study to rationalise and prioritise the development of hospitals in the country and of the seven districts considered Savelugu/Nanton was the least on the priority list.

This is due to among other factors that the district is less than 35 kilometres from Tamale and is linked to the municipality by a first-class road. Asked whether the government was reneging on its policy of providing hospitals for all districts, the Deputy Minister replied in the negative saying "we cannot do all this at the same time, that is why we have prioritised".