Regional Dierctor GHS Upper East Region
Significant stride has been chalked in health
delivery in Upper East Region in the areas of pregnancy and delivery.
Antaean
care coverage stood at 30 percent; skill delivery increased from 33.5 percent
in 2017 to 34.5 percent in 2018 with a total live birth of 16.080.
Ninety-eight
point five percent of these newborns were exclusively breastfeeding at the time
of discharge. Postnatal care coverage was 31.4 percent, family planning
acceptance rate of was 16.2 percent over the period.
A total of 18 maternal deaths
with maternal mortality ratio of 110 per 100.000 live births were recorded, a
marginal reduction compared to the same period in 2017.
This was disclosed by
the Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service Dr. Winfred Ofusu at a
mid-year health sector performance review conference at the Ghana Health
Service In-Service Training Center in Bolgatanga.
The conference was under the theme “Achieving Sustainable
Development Goals targets for maternal and child health – the role of
technology”.
Speaking to Radio Ghana, Dr Ofosu said the theme is based on the
Director General’s vision and focus on how to leverage the use of information
and communication technology to improve maternal and newborn care in the region
to save life and avert disability.
Dr. Ofosu indicated that there are a number
of technological facilities such as teleconsultation center, Geographic
Information Systems, mobile phone calls and whatsapp platforms that are use in
problem analysis and fast communication to get help and save lives.
He state
that, with support from development partners, such as KOICA, the World Bank
JIKA and USAID/MCSP/Jhpiego, GHS continue strengthening the Community based
Health Planning and Services system CHPS in the regions which is a vehicle for
primary health care to enable the attainment of the Universal Health Coverage
at the community level.
He added that, a transactional data collection tool
e-tracker was deployed recently at the CHPS in the Sub districts to facilitate
data collection and utilization with Samsung Electronics and Goodneighbors
Ghana, Evaluate for Health Ghana and Ghana Health Service.
Dr Ofosu explained
some of the challenges the health service in the region is faced with as the
Doctor Population ratio in the region as one Doctor is to 30,000 and attributed
it partly to lack of accommodation for doctors and other physician assistance,
transport and slow rate of re-imbursement of National Health Insurance scheme
claims NHIS.
Story
by: GBC’s Emmanuel Akayeti
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