The North East Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has commended Development Partners for supporting the delivery of quality healthcare in the region. At Nalerigu during the 2022 Annual Performance Review meeting, the Regional Director, Dr Abdulai Abukari, acknowledged the huge support that the directorate has received from some key partners and stakeholders within the year under review.
He said it would have been virtually impossible to sustain essential health service delivery last year without the support of all stakeholders. The nongovernmental organizations according Dr Abdulai supported in the delivery of medical commodities and other logistics, infrastructure, capacity building of personnel and community outreach and sensitization campaigns among others.
Dr Abdulai also lauded the gallant health workers in the North East Region for discharging their duties creditably well in 2022 despite the numerous challenges confronting health service delivery especially in the wake of recurrent outbreaks of diseases of epidemics and pandemics.
He highlighted the theme for the review meeting: “Health Systems Strengthening Towards Achieving Universal Health Coverage: The Role of Stakeholders in Resource Mobilization” was carefully chosen in view of the huge financial, human resource, infrastructure, equipment and transportation challenges confronting the area as a new region.
“Therefore, the mobilization of resources from everywhere for the establishment of a functional and a resilient health system cannot be over emphasized” he said.
He added the effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic over the past three years together with other global challenges affected health service delivery nationwide and “as a new region we had and still continue to have our fair share of the impact.”
Dr Abdulai Abukari said the challenges have stretched and tested the resilience of the health systems to its elastic limit, stating the bitter lessons learnt is for all stakeholders to work together, pool resources together and invest massively in strengthening all the building blocks of the health systems to improve quality healthcare and achieve the universal health coverage.
Top 5 OPD cases
Meanwhile, the Health Directorate has also outlined the top five causes of Out-patient Department (OPD) attendance.
The Regional Director disclosed that Malaria, Upper Respiratory Tract Infection, Diarrhea diseases, Rheumatism and Anaemia are still the major causes of OPD attendance in the region.
Dr Abdulai underscored the need to intensify health education in the region to reduce the incidence of these diseases and also implored the stakeholders in that regard.
