Day: March 23, 2024

Construction works on the laundry block of the Atua Government Hospital in the Eastern Region have been left unfinished for over 10 years, showing no signs of progress.

The project, initiated under the leadership of Mr Michael Teye Nyaunu, former Member of Parliament for Lower Manya Krobo, has been neglected and left vulnerable without any clear plan for its future.

When the Ghana News Agency reached out to the hospital management, it said it could not give any public statements on the project without prior approval from the Ghana Health Service.

Meanwhile, a source at the hospital informed the Ghana News Agency that there was a shortage of laundry space, leading to a negative impact on their services.

However, the source was hesitant to speak due to concerns about potential repercussions from higher authorities.

Hospital laundry services offer a variety of essential tasks for healthcare facilities, such as sorting, cleaning, sanitising, and disinfecting used linen.

These services ensure fresh and clean
linen for patients to enhance their healing process and to prevent infections.

As per the source, the neglected project is causing significant inconvenience in the laundry task.

‘Because of the situation, we have been washing in a small room, which is affecting our work,’ the source said,? adding; ‘Due to that, we have resulted to using a domestic washing machine, which takes a longer period to wash, making it difficult for us.’

The hospital officials believe that once completed, the project would greatly enhance their laundry services and even install a state-of-the-art laundry machine for a dedicated drying space, establish an iron room, and provide office space for the laundress.

It appealed to stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, and non-governmental organisations to provide support for the hospital’s laundry facility to expedite its completion.

In 2014 Mr Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, the incumbent Member of Parliament, Lower Manya Krobo, made a promise to establish a la
undry facility for the hospital but despite his donation to the hospital, there had been no progress on the project.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Western Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has presented awards to some healthcare facilities and staff in recognition of their hard work and dedication in the provision of healthcare services in the Region.

The awards were to reward the recipients for their outstanding contributions in providing and prudently managing comprehensive and accessible health services, with special emphasis on primary health care in accordance with approved policies of the Ministry of Health.

The awardees were Half-Assini Hospital, who was adjudged the Best Performing Facility in Peer Review, and Wassa Amenfi East District Hospital and Axim Hospital won the Best Performing Facilities in Ghana Integrated Logistics Management Information System (GhILMS) Utilisation.

The rest were Wassa Amenfi Central District Hospital and Agona-Nkwanta Polyclinic who were both awarded as the Best Performing Facilities in Debt Servicing.

They all received plaques as their prizes.

Three staff also received the Regional Dir
ector’s Special Awards, and they are; Madam Joyce Nketsiah, a Midwifery Officer at Asankran Breman Health Centre in the Wassa Amenfi West, Madam Matilda Arhin, Principal Nursing Officer at the Takoradi Hospital, and Mr Emmanuel Amoako, a Senior Community Health Nurse at Mpohor.

They reviewed citations and digital television sets.

Citations were also presented to Ellembelle District Health Directorate as the Best Performing District in CHPS Implementation and Disease Surveillance, Wassa East as the Best Performing District in Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI), and Tarkwa Municipal as the Best Performing District in Reproductive and Child Health Services.

Others were Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan as the Best Performing in Tuberculosis Programme, and Mpohor as the Best Performing in Nutrition Services.

Dr Yaw Ofori Yeboah, the Western Regional Director of the GHS, speaking at the 2023 annual performance review of the Directorate, held in Takoradi, said the awardees had sacrificed, innovated, and exhib
ited resilience to provide a wide range of services to improve on the health needs of the people.

He said because of them, the Western Region was a relatively healthier place to live.

He asked them to be devoted and committed to their core mandates to help the region and the country realise its goal of achieving Universal Health Coverage.

Dr Patrick Kuma Aboagye, the Director-General of the GHS, in a speech read on his behalf congratulated the award winners.

He said: ‘I know the great effort you and your teams have put into the health service delivery space, and in spite of the challenges, I see successes, growth, and achievement and I salute you all sincerely.’

According to him, though healthcare service providers made many sacrifices, ‘we can still beat our hands on our chest and say we deliver health services through thick and thin.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

BasicNeeds-Ghana has asked healthcare service providers to look beyond the physical needs of pregnant women and provide them with psycho-social support to enhance their mental well-being.

Mr Peter Yaro, the Executive Director of BasicNeeds-Ghana, said it was important for maternal and child welfare clinics to also include counselling support services for mothers and children.

He said this was crucial because a project undertaken by his outfit revealed that mental health issues during pregnancy and childbirth were real and needed much attention.?

Mr Yaro made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on women and mental health in Accra.

He said, ‘The package of services for pregnant women and mothers must transcend just antenatal visits, distribution of vitamins to supporting them with psycho-social care and needs that can help them cope especially with postpartum depression.’

Postpartum Depression (PPD) is a medical condition that many women experience after having a baby. It is a strong
feeling of sadness, anxiety (worry) and tiredness that lasts for a long time after giving birth.

People with mental health issues have signs of feeling anxious or worried, feel depressed or unhappy, have emotional outbursts, sleep problems, weight, or appetite changes, become quiet or withdrawn than usual, substance abuse, feel guilty or worthless.

Globally, the prevalence of maternal mental health problems is estimated to range from 18 per cent to 38 per cent.

In low and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Ghana, the prevalence rate is reportedly higher ranging from 15 per cent to 57per cent (Lund et al., 2014).

Studies have shown that the weighted mean prevalence rates is 15.6 per cent during prenatal period and 19.8 per cent for postnatal period.

In Ghana, a post-partum depression prevalence of 8.6 per cent, 3.1 per cent and 41 per cent have been reported among women who delivered at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

?

Mr Yaro explained that pregnant women and newly delivered mother
s experienced depressive conditions and the challenges of having new babies, which needed more clinical attention to improve their well-being.

He said women, due to their unique needs, were vulnerable and as such there was the need to pay closer attention to their mental health.

The Executive Director called for social protection schemes targeted at vulnerable women and children, adding that some of the schemes currently available with all the good intentions usually missed out on targeting.

Mr Yaro mentioned that maternal and mental health problems were major public health issues and urged the citizens to visit hospitals when experiencing the signs and symptoms.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Euracare Specialist Hospital, a healthcare facility in Ghana and Nigeria, has extended a $50,000 support in discount to three deserving patients in Ghana to undergo life-changing surgeries.

This generous gesture is part of Euracare’s commitment to making quality healthcare accessible to all, regardless of financial constraints.

A statement issued in Accra by the Hospital said the recipients were carefully selected based on their medical needs and financial circumstances.

Each of these patients were struggling with a debilitating condition that required intervention, but the cost of treatment had been a barrier to accessing the care they deserve.

It said with Euracare’s support, these individuals had the opportunity to undergo the surgeries they desperately needed, without the burden of excessive financial strain.

Dr. Benjamin Sarkodie, the Medical Director of Euracare Ghana, said, ‘At Euracare, we believe that healthcare is a fundamental human right, and we are dedicated to ensuring that no one is denied
the medical care they need due to financial limitations.’

He said recognising the importance of surgery in improving the quality of life for our patients, they were proud to offer these discounts as part of their ongoing efforts to give back to the community.

‘Two of these patients had Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) of the brain while the 3rd patient had carotid carvenous Fistula (CCF),’ he adddd.

He said all procedures were successfully done by the Euracare treatment team in Ghana, led by Prof Sarkodie and the patients had since been discharged.

He said the initiative stood as a testament to Euracare’s steadfast dedication to serving the community, transcending the boundaries of the hospital.

‘Grounded in the belief that prioritising the health and well-being of our community can catalyze significant positive change, Euracare remains committed to playing its part in building a healthier and happier society,’ he added.

He called on other organisations to support those in need and collaboratively contr
ibuting to shaping a future that is not only healthier but also brighter for all.

Source: Ghana News Agency