Nkrankwanta: Dr Daniel Owusu-Amponsah, the Dormaa West District Director of Health, has issued an appeal for the provision of standard medical devices and equipment to enhance healthcare services in the district. He emphasized the necessity of improving health facilities and the urgent need for more health workers to be deployed to underserved communities to boost health outcomes.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr Owusu-Amponsah made this plea during a health forum organized by the directorate in Nkrankwanta, the district capital. The forum, themed 'Closing the gap, fixing Dormaa West's Infrastructure and Medical Challenges-our shared responsibility', saw participation from traditional authorities, health workers, and Heads of Department and Agencies. During the event, Dr Owusu-Amponsah highlighted the challenges the directorate faces in delivering quality healthcare services, citing a lack of modern medical devices, insufficient staff accommodation, and a shortage of health personnel as significant impediments.
The Dormaa West Health Directorate, established 13 years ago, still grapples with significant resource constraints. Dr Owusu-Amponsah noted that the district hospital requires an additional 173 staff members to meet the increasing demand for quality healthcare. He revealed that the District Health Director is currently residing in a hotel due to inadequate staff accommodation, and other critical staff members are compelled to travel long distances to work.
The district hospital in Nkrankwanta serves as a referral center for cases not only from the Dormaa West district but also from Bia East in the Western North region and even Cote D'Ivoire. However, the hospital lacks essential medical personnel, including general nurses, medical officers, specialists, and midwives. The shortage of accommodation has driven many critical health workers to seek transfers, hindering efforts to provide healthcare services across the district's approximately 70 communities.
Dr Owusu-Amponsah called on various stakeholders, including chiefs, businesses, corporate bodies, and NGOs, to assist in addressing these issues. He pointed out that the health facilities in areas such as Krakrom, Gyaase, Kwabena Dwomokrom, Kojo Kumi Krom, Nyameama Brofoyedru, New Chiraa, and Yaakrom are in dire need of improvement.
Mr Dickson Hinneh, the Senior Advanced Emergency Medical Technician of the National Ambulance Service in the District, also raised concerns over the poor condition of roads, which hampers ambulance services in the area. Responding to these issues, Mr Stephen Azorba Awuni, the Dormaa West District Chief Executive, informed the Ghana News Agency that the Assembly is taking steps to address some of these challenges.
