Mission hospitals, urban centres working to save lives in Central Region
Doctors in three mission hospitals and health centres in the Central Region are working around the clock to handle the influx of patients in view of the on-going nation-wide strike by members of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA.
The hospitals namely the Assin Fosu Saint Francis Xavier, Our Lady of Grace at Asikuma in the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa district, and the Twifo-Praso Government hospitals, continue to be flooded with patients putting lots of pressure on the medical staff, who are working feverishly to save lives.
This came to light when the Central Regional Minister, Mrs. Ama Benyiwa-Doe paid a visit to the health facilities to congratulate the medical doctors and physician assistants in those facilities for their dedication and hard work that had lessened the burden of the situation in the region.
The tour was also to find out the challenges the health facilities were facing in handling the situation.
The Regional Minister was accompanied by the Acting Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Mr. Peter Kyeremanteng, the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipal Health Director, Mr. Samuel Sosi as well as various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) and Health Directors.
The Minister and her team also visited the University Hospital and the Elmina Urban Health Centre.
At the Elmina Urban Health Centre when the team got there, the Physician Assistant in charge, Mr. Ibrahim Yahya was attending to an emergency case while other medical assistants were attending to patients at the Out Patient Department (OPD).
Mr. Yahya said all emergency cases brought there were managed without any referrals to the Regional or Metro Hospitals.
Patients including those for antenatal care, who would have otherwise visit the Metro or Regional Hospitals, had within the past few days been visiting the Centre. Deliveries were recorded also at the Centre.
Mr Yahya said plans were underway to expand the Centre, which now caters for over 200 patients daily, and upgrade it to a Polyclinic status and was hopeful the Minister would come to their aid.
The University of Cape Coast (UCC) Hospital was also in full operation at the time of the visit. The maternity ward of teh Hospital had ten women on admission with five in the labour ward.
The Deputy Director of the Hospital, Mr. Akwasi Baah said instead of the normal 230 patients that used to visit the Hospital, it now caters for about 530 daily and that the huge influx was anticipated and therefore measures had been put in place to control it.
He explained that where the cases were not critical, patients were observed for about six hours and then allowed to go home in order to make rooms for others to be admitted and attended to.
At the Twifo Praso Government Hospital, two Cuban doctors were at post attending to patients as well as two medical assistants.
The DCE for the area, Mr. Foster Andoh noted that none of their doctors were on strike at the hospital, which caters for about 140,000 people in its catchment area.
The Regional Minister also visited the St. Francis Xavier Hospital in Assin Fosu where doctors, nurses and other medical assistants were busily attending to patients.
She also went to Our Lady of Grace Hospital at Ajumako where Mr. Stephen Takyi Ansah, the Hospital Administrator said as a mission hospital their cardinal aim was to save lives and so none of their medical doctors were on strike.
He appealed to the Regional Minister for a generator, an ambulance and accommodation for staff.
Mrs. Benyiwa-Doe at separate meetings with the doctors, physician assistants and other staff of the various health institutions noted that those in the rural areas were mostly poor and vulnerable people who could not afford to pay for their medical bills with cash.
Source: GNA