Health facilities asked to give disease surveillance top priority

Lawra, (U/W), Aug. 3, GNA – Dr Alexis Nang-beifubah, Upper West Regional Director of Health Services has urged all health facilities to put disease surveillance on top of their agenda to prevent the outbreak of epidemic diseases.

Dr. Nangbeifubah said this year five epidemic diseases including CSM, Anthrax, yellow fever, Rabies and cholera showed up in the region but were easily contained due to early detection.

He said this at the mid-year performance review meeting of the Lawra District Health Directorate at Lawra on Tuesday.

He said performance reviews had become an integral part of the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health curricula and commended the Lawra District Health Directorate for organizing the performance review meeting.

Dr. Sebastian Sandaare, Lawra District Director of Health Services said a survey conducted indicated that clients were satisfied with the quality of health service delivery in all facilities across the District.

He said the District recorded three maternal deaths from January to June 2011.

Dr. Sandaare also commended the Lawra District Assembly for demonstrating a high level of political will in improving health service infrastructure in the District.

He said within the period under review, the Assembly had constructed and handed over two CHPS compounds at Boo and Dazuuri.

Also under construction by the Assembly were the Lawra hospital children’s ward, a residential facility for the Principal of the Lawra Health Assistants Training School (HATS), as well as an office accommodation and classroom blocks for the Nandom Midwifery School.

Dr. Sandaare mentioned inadequate number of critical staff such as midwives, inadequate flow of funds from central Government, and inadequate technical, monitoring and supervision in health facilities as some of the major problems hindering healthcare delivery in the District.

Other challenges, he said, included negative socio-cultural practices and unsafe abortion.

The health personnel took stock of their achievements and identified gaps that needed to be addressed to improve on their performance.

Mr Samson Abu, Lawra District Chief Executive commended the efforts of health staff in promoting quality healthcare delivery and also pledged the Assembly’s commitment to the provision of more health projects to support the sector.

The occasion was also used to commission a rehabilitated conference hall, a client relations office, a laboratory facility as well as an NHIS claims office for the Lawra District Hospital.

The projects which together cost GH¢61,470.60 were funded by the hospital itself.