NHIS not panacea to quality
healthcare delivery – Dr Issah
Wa, Nov. 13, Ghanadot/GNA – Dr Kofi Issah, acting Upper
West Regional Director of Health Services has observed
that even though the National Health Insurance Scheme’s
(NHIS) ultimate goal is to make people healthy, it is
not a panacea for the promotion of quality healthcare
delivery in the country.
He said the NHIS only helped to move the financial
barriers of patients, but that needed to be complemented
with the provision of improved equipment, efficient
transport system, quality training of health personnel,
and good management of health facilities as well as the
changing of behaviour of health personnel towards
patients.
Dr Issah made the observation at a forum with students
from the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College,
who are on a study tour of the Upper West Region to find
out how government policies are being implemented and
their impact on the people.
The 12 students including students from Nigeria,
Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Gambia and
Mauritania are also to examine how political and
socio-economic issues were impeding on development, as
well as poverty alleviation, migration and epidemics
that affected the people.
Dr Issah suggested that more attention be given to the
teaching of quality healthcare practices at the
household and communities levels, to help in the
prevention of diseases to guarantee quality healthcare
delivery for the people.
He told the students that because of the NHIS there was
workload on the nurses and doctors, especially those in
the Upper West Region where a doctor-patient ratio stood
at 127,000 to a doctor while that of a nurse was 1,000.
The Upper West Region has a population of 659,827, with
six hospitals, nine doctors, 59 health centres, 50
community based health planning and services, 885
traditional birth attendants and 1,165 community based
service volunteers.
“Out patient-department attendance has increased due to
NHIS, however no significant changes have occurred in
bed statistics and quality of care.
“Malaria and skins diseases as well as respiratory tract
infections continue to be top of the causes of
consultation,” Dr Issah said.
He said malaria recorded 39.7 per cent of hospitals
attendance and also accounted for 8.2 per cent of all
deaths in children below five years of age.
Dr Issah expressed regret that due to late reporting for
antenatal only 13.4 per cent of pregnant women received
intermittent preventive treatment for malaria, while
treated bed nets were given to pregnant women and
children as well as improved clinical diagnosis and
treatment as part of the strategies to control the
disease.
He said the region has the highest rates of maternal and
child mortality in the country, recording 94 per 100,000
ratio for maternal deaths (half year report 2008) and
191 per 1,000 ratio for child deaths (2006 report).
“Nutrition interventions, improved community
decision-making systems and emergency transport systems
among others were some of the strategies adopted to
reduce these incidents,” Dr Issah said.
He however lamented that the Wa East, Wa West, Sissala
West and Lambussie Karni Districts were without
facilities for blood transfusion and surgeries.
On HIV/AIDS, Dr Issah told the students that there were
38 facilities providing counselling and testing services
in the region.
He said between January and June this year, 6,684 women
had been counselled and 101 of them tested positive.
“Thirty-one mothers and baby pairs are on
ante-retroviral drugs. There are also 122 other patients
on treatment and 433 people have joined each other to
form 12 associations of people living with HIV/AIDS,” Dr
Issah told the students.
The HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the region is 3.3 per
cent while that of Wa Municipality is 5.8 per cent, a
sentinel survey carried out in 2007 between September
and October indicated.
Dr Issah indicated that tuberculosis posed a big
challenge in diagnosis and treatment due to lack of
laboratories and equipment in some of the health
facilities, but said after the national launch in the
region, activities had improved.
He said the region also lies in the meningitis belt and
education on the disease was going on in the communities
to sensitize the people.
“Trachoma has reduced significantly and only one case of
guinea worm had been recorded this year,” Dr Issah said.
He said surveillance system involving communities and
health facilities is in place to set up an early warning
system while epidemic preparedness committees were also
being formed to that effect.
“Mass distribution of drugs against onchocerciasis and
other worms have been carried out this month, Dr Issah
told the forum.
GNA
